loved being a poll worker in 2016, because it felt like such an important way to serve our democracy. It was beautiful to see the diverse people of my Perrysburg community, all coming out to vote for their vision, their hopes, and their needs. Every single vote counts.
It sounds simple, but for many Ohioans, getting to a physical polling place on a specific day can be difficult, due to limits on access to transportation, work schedules, mobility issues, an unexpected emergency, or their or their loved ones’ health. Vote-by-mail opens those doors, allowing voters to receive their ballots weeks in advance of the election, not only giving them time to consider their choices, but putting the power to vote in their hands, at their convenience.
Ohio should join the list of states that have adopted vote-by-mail. Paired with same day registration, vote-by-mail would allow local Boards of Elections time to resolve issues related to Ohio’s reckless voter registration purges or other errors. If we had vote-by-mail in place already, most Ohioans would have already voted before the original primary date of March 17.
Instead, the state of Ohio currently asks us to rely on an opt-in absentee voting system, giving people a narrow window to request, receive, and return their ballots. Voters without computer access rely on their Boards of Elections to mail them a request form, which they must then mail back, wait to receive a ballot, and then return that. Often, voters receive their ballots too late to be counted, and this year many others will be left out because they didn’t know the deadline was extended or how to request a ballot. While a current proposal to allow voters to apply for their absentee ballots online would speed up the process, this does nothing for voters who don’t have access to the Internet.
Vote-by-mail, sending every registered voter a copy of Form 11-A, would eliminate much of the confusion and make voting much more accessible for Ohioans. Every vote matters and every vote should count.
Reem Subei
Holland
