Clermont County voters can cast an early ballot this week at the county board of elections in Batavia, as early in-person voting for the Nov. 3 general election enters its third week across Ohio.
The Clermont County Board of Elections is at 76 S. Riverside Dr., Batavia, OH 45103, and can be reached at 513-732-7275, according to the board and the Ohio Secretary of State’s early voting directory. Early voting is cast at the board office, not at a voter’s precinct polling place, which opens only on Election Day.
Statewide early in-person hours set by the Secretary of State are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Oct. 19-23. Hours expand after that: Saturday, Oct. 24 is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the final week brings evening hours before early voting ends Sunday, Nov. 1 at 5 p.m.
Voters who prefer to vote by mail can still request an absentee ballot, but applications must be received by the board of elections by 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 27. Mailed ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3, to be counted, and ballots can also be returned in person to the board office by that deadline.
Clermont County voters deciding their ballot this fall weighed a children services renewal and a commissioner race in the county’s first-pass ballot preview, along with statewide races and statewide Issue 3. Sample ballots are available through the Secretary of State and the county board so voters can review their exact ballot before they arrive.
Voters should bring an accepted photo ID, such as an Ohio driver’s license or a valid military ID, when they vote in person. Anyone who cannot find their registration information can contact the board — in some cases a provisional ballot may be available at the early voting location or at the correct Election Day polling place.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, when polls across Ohio are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters still in line when a session is scheduled to end are allowed to vote, election officials say.
Board staff remind voters that early voting is often the fastest option in the final stretch, when Election Day lines at precincts can grow. Casting a ballot this week at the Batavia office, during the regular 8-to-5 hours, avoids the expanded-hours rush of the last week and leaves time to resolve any registration or ID question well before Nov. 3.
Photo: Aesopposea, CC BY-SA