Voting In Ohio: What Ohioans With Disabilities, And The People Who Support Them Need to Know


It's a new year, and, that means a lot of new things, beginnings etc. Some of those new things and beginnings are a new legislative cycle, a new budget season, and, along with that, the start of a new election season. In fact, there's an election coming up in Ohio on May 6th. With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to write about voting in Ohio, and give some good information for Ohioans with disabilities, and the people that support them, such as family members.

I attended a presentation today on Advocacy Wednesday with OSDA. on We Thrive Together where Brett Harbage, the ADA. Cordinator for The Ohio Secretary Of Ate's Office, talked about voting for people with disabilities. I want to give you some of his insights, knowledge, and tips, as well as my experience, along with some tips and resources that I've found helpful when voting as a person with a disability. However, I also want to hear from you! What has your experience been as a disabled Ohio voter, and, did you vote in-person, or absentee? Also, what tips and resources do you have that you think might be helpful?


Advocacy Wednesday With OSDA. is a weekly virtual presentation on We Thrive Together, with a different topic every week. If you'd like to attend, or access past recordings of presentations, you can go to:


www.wethrivetogether.org




This week, Brett Harbage, the ADA. Cordinator for the Ohio Secretary Of State's Office stopped by, to talk about voting in Ohio for people with disabilities. He covered various aspects, including, registration, what to expect on Election Day, and, the various options that Ohioans have for voting. First, I'll start with the key takeaways:

1. Both the Boards Of Elections, and the Secretary Of State have rights and responsibilities to make voting accessible for people with disabilities. However, voters also have rights and responsibilities.
2. There's several options for registering to vote in Ohio, including the ability to do it online.
3. There's also several options for casting your vote in Ohio, including absentee voting.


With that in mind, let's get into more detail about different aspects of voting in Ohio as a person with a disability.

Rights And Responsibilities Of Board Of Elections, And Secretary Of State


In Ohio, all 88 counties have a board of elections. They, along with the Secretary Of State's Office, have the responsibility to make sure that disabled Ohioans have what they need to vote as independently as possible. For example, making sure polling locations are accessible, and that pollworkers are trained on how to use accessible voting machines. This could also mean resolving issues if and when they occur. However, as voters we have rights and responsibilities as well.


Your Rights And Responsibilities As A Voter


As a voter, we have various rights and responsibilities. This includes:


1. Know and remember deadlines.
Knowing and remembering deadlines is very important as a voter. For instance, you must be registered 30 days prior to the election. For instance, if you wanted to vote in the election on May 6th, you'll need to have your voter registration application in by April 7th.
That will be here before you know it, so, be sure to have a reminder for that date, such as creating an all-day event in your calendar app.


2. Double-check and make sure you're registered, and that the information is up-to-date.
It's crucial to check and make sure you're registered to vote, and, that your information is up-to-date. Life happens, and as such, that could mean some information may have changed. You may have moved, or, you may have gotten married and changed your name. That means you will have to update your information, so that it's accurate and updated when you cast your ballot.


3. Know what your options are.
You have several options for casting your ballot. You can vote absentee, take advantage of early voting, or, you can go to your polling location and cast your ballot, or take advantage of curbside voting. Make sure you know where your Board Of Elections office is, and/or your polling location! It's also important that you know what your options are for registering to vote. You can pick up an application at your local license bureau, request for an application to be mailed to you by your board of elections. Some libraries may also have voter registration forms, and, you can also register online. Yes, you read that right. You can register to vote from the comfort of your couch, bed, no matter where you are. You can also update your information online. We'll get into more detail about all of that later.  


4. Educate yourself on the issues and candidates.
This election will be a primary and special election. That means that you will be choosing the candidates that will be on the ballot for the November 4th election, as well as voting on issues that are spicfic to your town, city, municipality, county, etc. This is one reason why it's very important to keep your voter information updated. It's important to know who you're voting for, and what your voting on.

There's several ways you can do your research. It's always good to do research on all candidates and issues. When I go to vote, it's a several day process. Because I dive deep into researching the candidates, and issues. I will use everything from non-partisan sites such as On The Issues, which talks about some candidates stand on a wide variety of issues such as crime. I will also sometimes use Ballotpedia for biographies on candidates, however, I'll sometimes go to their social media (mainly Facebook) pages. I also sometimes look at newspaper articles, depending on the content. Also, I let past experience speak for itself too.
I also listen to any debates or interviews that I can. I'd also try and see if you can find audio interviews on The Sound Of Ideas, which is an NPR. program. You can go to:


https://www.ideastream.org/

 
 
 
One time, during mid-term elections, I found interviews of candidates that were running for state office in my district, and listened to them.
Also, another thing that might be helpful especially for the local issues and candidates, is if there's a Meet The Candidates Night being broadcasted. There's 2 local radio stations that cover my area. The city I live in has a local radio station, and there's also a radio station that covers my county. Meet the candidates nights have been broadcasted on both of those in the past, and, I'll listen to them. During those programs, the facilitators/moderators will ask questions and give each candidate a set time limit to respond. Sometimes, the candidates responses to the questions, and how they are, and if they show up, have factored into my decision.
 
 
Here's an example of what I type into Google when doing research on a candidate:
 
John Smith Ballotpedia
 
 
Or, let's say that I want to know John Smith's stance on an issue, here's what I would type into Google:
 
John Smith crime OnTheIssues
 
You can also put:
 
www.ontheissues.org




If you are under guardianship, you still have the right to vote, unless a probate court judge has spicifically stated that you can't. However, it is a rarity for this to happen.

He also talked about all the options you have when you cast your ballot. I'll give you a run-down of your options, and how to access them.


1. Voting at your polling location on Election Day
You can go to the polling location on Election Day from 6 AM. to 7:30 PM. and cast your ballot. There, you will have an accessible voting machine, or a paper ballot for instance. You can bring someone with you to help you vote. For instance, I bring mom to help me vote, and, we just tell them that she's here to help me vote. Make sure you bring proper identification, and name your address, and you can sign your name.

2. You can take advantage of early voting.
You can also vote early, before Election Day. Early voting starts the day after the voter registration deadline. So, for instance, it will start on April 8th, for the May 6th election. There are state hours, and, during the last 2 weeks, there will be evening and weekend hours for you to vote early.
This is the option that I usually take advantage of, for a number of reasons. 
I can go to my board of elections office and vote! I know that not only will they have the accessible voting machine there, but, they will also have someone there that's trained on how to use it, and, set it up. This means that I can vote independently. I just need someone to drive me to and from the election office, and take me to the scanner to put my ballot in, and take me to the accessible voting machine, help me find the headphones, and, fill out and date the paperwork. Plus, I can take my time, and, in my experience, there's never been a line, and, we don't have to wait!


3. Curbside voting
You can go to your polling location, and, there are designated parking spots for curbside voting. These spots are usually marked with signage. Just pull in, and, call them, and let them know you need to vote curbside. You can also call ahead, and, 2 pollworkers, one from each party, will come out to your vehicle, and bring your ballot to you.

5. You can request an absentee ballot.
You can apply to get an absentee ballot sent to you in the mail. You can apply online. Once you get your ballot, you, or someone you trust can fill it out, and either bring it to a drop-off box, or drop it in the mail, and send it back to the Board Of Elections Office in your county.
You can also request an accessible absentee ballot, that you can fill out on your computer. However, be aware that you will have to print it out, and mail it to your board of elections office.


He also talked about what to expect on Election Day. For instance, there may be accessible parking at your polling location, and, you may see campaigners. You will need to present your identification, and give your full name and address. If you don't have an ID. you can go to your license bureau and get one for free. There may also be a line as well. You will also need to sign your name.


While I hope that you don't run into issues casting your ballot, I know that it does happen. If you have any issues, you can ask for the manager for the polling location. If you are still having issues, you can call your Board Of Elections Office. If you are still having issues, you can call the Secretary Of State's Office, and ask to speak with the ADA. Corddinator. You can also send him an email at:


bharbage@ohiosos.gov


I've had a great experience with my county board of elections. In fact, ironically enough, when I spoke up about my experience, Mr. Harbage agreed, and, had just gotten off the phone with the director of our board of elections office!


Lastly, I want to give you some resources that I think might be helpful for people.


1. The Vote Ohio web site


This web site is Ohio's hub for all things voting. You can update your registration, register to vote, request an absentee ballot, and, so much more! They even have sections for voters with disabilities, and, hospitalized voters. You can also view the 2025 elections schedule there as well. If you'd like to go and check it out, you can go to:


https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/


2. An app to help you read your ballot, and find your polling location.

There's an app for Ohio voters that's free, called Ohio Voter Info, and, it's available on the apple App Store, and, google Play. When you install the app, you put in your name, and select the county from the spinner to set it up. From there, you can find your polling place, and, your sample ballot. To do this, find and activate the view sample ballot button. From there, you can choose from a list of sample ballots. Once you have the one you want, you will also find a button that lets you view an accessible ballot. Keep in mind that the ballot for this upcoming election may or may not be up yet. However, I was able to view a ballot from a past election. If your county is not listed, you can contact your County Board of elections office and request that they have their information be added to the app. You can even choose what party ballot you want as well as your municipality. This app does work with VoiceOver, but, there are some unlabeled buttons, and, getting it to work can be a little finicky, but, it is doable. If you'd like to download this app, you click on one of the following links.
To get it from the App Store, click here:


https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ohio-voter-info/id1062335875


To get it on Google Play, you can click here:


https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.triadgsi.dev.ohiovotes&hl=en_US



I know it can be overwhelming, but, once you do it the first time, it will get easier each time you do it. Remember, don't be afraid to ask for help. Let's go out there, and put in our 2¢ worth!