Presidential Primary Election to continue until April 28, be conducted by mail only

Presidential Primary Election to continue until April 28, be conducted by mail only

[Tiffin, OH March 28, 2020] – Seneca County Board of Elections personnel is working with Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office to finalize the Presidential Primary Election, as officials and residents deal with the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In-person voting, which was scheduled for March 17, was canceled as Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton closed all polling locations due to the health crisis.

This week, the Ohio General Assembly approved legislation outlining how the election would be finalized in a way that would still allow all citizens ample time to vote.

According to information from the Seneca County Board of Elections, those who have already voted may not submit another application to vote.

“If you have already voted, either in-person during the early-voting period or by absentee ballot in the mail, your vote will count,” said Lori Ritzler, deputy director at the elections office. These ballots are safe and secure at the board of elections office and will be counted on April 28.

Ritzler said her office must receive an application in order to verify a person’s identity and to ensure the voter is registered.

“In addition, this is a Primary Election and a ballot style must be chosen. You may choose between Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or issues-only to be an independent,” she said.

Voters cannot submit an application via email, fax or scan.

“We must have an original signature, therefore, please mail the absentee application via the postal service,” Ritzler said.

The last day to request an application to vote in this primary election is April 25 at noon. Within the next week, Ritzler said she expects the office to have a secure drop box outside of the building at 71 S. Washington St.

Tabulation of votes will begin on April 28 after 7:30 p.m. It’s important to note that ballots postmarked by April 27 will all be counted, so final unofficial results won’t be available until May 8. (This is standard for every election).

The Secretary of State’s website has many resources related to this process, including an FAQ document that is available here: https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/2020-primary-frequently-asked-questions/.

An absentee application can be requested by calling the board of elections office (419) 447-4424 or going to https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/absentee-ballot/.

To view a sample ballot, visit the board’s website https://lookup.boe.ohio.gov/vtrapp/seneca/ballotlist.aspx.