Portsmouth’s Early Ballot Window Is Room 105, Not the Neighborhood Poll

- Advertisement -

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — Scioto County voters who want to finish this election before Nov. 3 have one public counter. It is the Scioto County Board of Elections, 602 Seventh St., Room 105, Portsmouth, OH 45662. The school, the church, or the township hall printed on a voter card is for Election Day only.

The phone at Room 105 is 740-353-4178. The fax is 740-355-8326. The email is scioto@ohiosos.gov. Outside of an election the office keeps Monday-through-Friday hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. During early voting, the doors follow the statewide calendar instead.

The early-voting calendar

That calendar opened Tuesday. From Oct. 6 through Oct. 9, Oct. 12 through Oct. 16, and Oct. 19 through Oct. 23, early ballots are available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The first Saturday is Oct. 24, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the same Saturday hours return Oct. 31. In the final week the counter opens at 7:30 a.m. It closes at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 26 and Oct. 28, 29, and 30, and at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The last early-voting day is Sunday, Nov. 1, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The board does not take early ballots on Monday, Nov. 2.

Absentee ballots

A voter who cannot get to Seventh Street can apply for an absentee ballot. The application itself must reach Room 105 by 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 27. The marked ballot must reach the same office by 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3. Putting it in a mailbox on Election Day is too late for an in-country voter. Uniformed and overseas voters are on a different receipt deadline.

The secure box outside the board is for the person whose name is on the envelope. A family member dropping off someone else’s ballot, or someone assisting a voter with a disability, is supposed to carry it in and complete the attestation. The family list runs through spouse, parent, stepparent, child, stepchild, sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, and in-law.

The ID Room 105 will ask for

Room 105 will ask for photo identification. Accepted cards are an Ohio driver’s license, an Ohio state ID, a BMV interim ID, a U.S. passport, a U.S. passport card, a U.S. military ID, a U.S. military dependent card, an Ohio National Guard ID, and a Veterans Affairs ID. Each one needs a photograph, an unexpired date, and a name that lines up with the poll book. The street printed on an Ohio license can be out of date. The expiration date cannot.

Portsmouth voters should leave the utility bill at home. Bank statements, pay stubs, college cards, and Kentucky or West Virginia licenses will not clear a regular ballot. No ID at all does not end the visit: the board can issue a provisional ballot. Counting it usually means a return trip, with a valid photo ID, within four days after Nov. 3. A religious objection to being photographed is handled by affidavit.

New registrations for this general election are closed. They were due by 9 p.m. on Oct. 5. Voters who want a sample ballot or a precinct check can use voterlookup.ohiosos.gov.

Nov. 3

On Nov. 3 the polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. at the assigned precinct. A voter still in line at closing time is allowed to vote. Anyone who requested a mail ballot and has not sent it should bring the blank ballot along. Anyone who already returned one should stop there.

Curbside voting is limited to voters whose disability keeps them from entering the building. Call 740-353-4178 before the trip. The board posts hours and forms at boe.ohio.gov/scioto.

Next in Scioto County: A Lost Scioto County Car Title Gets Replaced on the Second Floor, Not at the BMV

- Advertisement -

Send a tip or correction to info@heritageheadlines.com, or use the contact page.

More Scioto County news