COLUMBUS – Today, State Senator Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati) reminded voters in Hamilton County and throughout Ohio that they can and should still vote, even if they had been purged from the rolls and their name cannot be located by polling place operators. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ recently ruled against Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted in a case involving the removal of thousands of voters who had not voted in recent years. Individuals who had been purged can cast a provisional ballot, which will be reviewed and counted once each voters’ registration is confirmed.
“Voters need to know that even if they are not listed on the rolls they may be able to cast a provisional ballot that will be counted,” said Senator Thomas. “If you think you may have ever been registered, check with your county board and go vote a provisional ballot. This will also serve to register you to vote or update your registration.”
Provisional ballots of cancelled registrants will be counted when:
- The voter’s registration was cancelled due to the supplemental process since January 1, 2011.
- The voter has not moved out of the county they were previously registered.
- There is no record of the voter being adjudicated incompetent, incarcerated pursuant to felony conviction, being deceased, or being cancelled pursuant to the national change of address notification lists.
- The voter casts a provisional ballot either at the early vote location in their county during early vote or at the precinct where they live now on Election Day and fills out the provisional ballot envelope fully and correctly.
For provisional voting, voters only have to provide ONE of the following:
- The last four digits of their social security number
- Their state identification card number
- Their driver’s license number for the identification requirements
Voters may also appear at their county Board of Elections office no later than seven days after the election and provide the identification required.
Polls are open today until 7:30 p.m.
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