The Champaign County Board of Elections office is closed due to COVID-19 concerns, but voters still can apply for primary election ballots.
On March 25, the Ohio Legislature moved the primary election date from March 17 to April 28, ordered that in-person voting cease and extended the absentee voting deadline. Ballots already cast in-person or with absentee ballots will be counted. There is no need to seek another ballot.
To obtain an absentee ballot application form, registered voters can:
– Visit https://www.boe.ohio.gov/champaign and click on the application form link
– Drop by the the county Community Center where ballot application forms are on a table outside the Board of Elections office
– Email the county Board of Elections at https://www.boe.ohio.gov/champaign or call the office at 937-484-1575 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays
Voters also can request ballots by:
– Mailing the county Board of Elections: 1512 So. US Highway 68, Suite L-100, Urbana, Ohio 43078
– Dropping a request into the monitored drop box at the south door of the county Community Center or the box just outside the Board of Elections office, located inside the Community Center
Meredith Bodey, director of the county Board of Elections, said those requesting ballots without the use of an application form must submit requests that state a ballot for the March 17 Primary Election is needed, the ballot type needed (Democrat, Libertarian, Republican or Issues Only; party ballots include the issues), name, address, birthdate and ONE of the following: last four numbers of their Social Security number or a Driver’s License, State ID, or utility bill in their name or bank statement within last year.
A signature and date are required to complete the form if the request is on paper other than the official application form.
The Board of Elections must receive absentee ballots by noon April 25. Ballots can be:
– Mailed to the Board of Elections – must be postmarked by April 27 and received by May 8
– Slipped into the monitored drop box by the south door of the county Community Center or the box just outside the Board of Elections office prior to 7:30 p.m. April 28
Bodey said those with disabilities who wish to use the ClearAccess (ADA) unit can do so all day on April 28 in the board office.
She said she expects unofficial results of the April 28 election to be posted on the Board of Elections website that night as usual. A date for the board to certify ballots had not been set as of press time.
For more information, call the office, visit http://www.boe.ohio.gov.champaign or visit VoteOhio.gov
