Why some Ohio voters are seeing double at the mailbox
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It's "Groundhog Day" in some Ohio mailboxes. Voters are getting absentee ballot applications — then sometimes getting them again and again.
Why it matters: Elections officials are looking to reduce confusion over the duplicate forms as the Trump administration seeks to restrict mail-in voting.
State of play: Ohioans must formally request an absentee ballot in order to vote by mail.
- Secretary of State Frank LaRose mailed applications to registered voters this month, as his office is authorized to do ahead of even-year general elections.
- Outside groups are sending their own, too.
What they're saying: Voters have been asking why they're receiving multiple applications, Hamilton County Board of Elections Director Sherry Poland tells Axios.
- Warren County's office has received thousands of applications generated by outside groups, Elections Director Brian Sleeth told The Enquirer.
- And the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections has also addressed questions about the state's mailing, telling voters that returning one completed application is all that's needed.
The actual snag: Getting multiple applications isn't a problem, but filling one out incorrectly can be. Poland says voters commonly miss required information, including their date of birth.
- Complete every required field, sign the application and return it to your county board of elections.
- Remember: What you're receiving now is an application for an absentee ballot, not the ballot itself.
🗓️ Mark your calendar:
- Ohio begins mailing absentee ballots Oct. 6.
- Applications must reach county boards by 8:30pm on Oct. 27.
- Regular absentee ballots must be received by 7:30pm on Election Day, Nov. 3.
Zoom out: The mailbox confusion comes as President Trump's efforts to change mail-in voting procedures have drawn national attention.
- His administration backed a U.S. Postal Service rule that would have required states to submit voter information to USPS and imposed new requirements on ballot envelopes.
- The Supreme Court blocked the rule on Sept. 14, finding the government was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge. It was likely the final say on the rule during this election cycle.