Absentee ballots to reduce poll lines

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cuyahoga County elections director says more than 881,000 absentee ballot applications will be sent out to Cleveland-area voters who want to vote for the next U.S. president by mail.

Election Director Jane Platten said Thursday she hopes as many as 300,000 voters will vote through the mail, which would reduce long lines at polling places.

Cuyahoga County is Ohio’s most populated county. Actual ballots will be mailed after Sept. 30 to voters who have completed the vote-by-mail application.

Sending out absentee ballot applications to all voters is optional among Ohio’s 88 counties.

Jeff Ortega, spokesman for Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, says 18 counties currently plan to participate. Delaware County is the most recent addition to the list.