Secretary of State sets early voting hours

February 26, 2014 at 12:02a.m.

COLUMBUS

Secretary of State Jon Husted has set early voting hours for the May primary and November general elections, with mostly weekday opportunities to cast ballots in person.

As promised, Husted stuck to the schedule recommended by bipartisan elections boards, via the Ohio Association of Election Officials.

For the May 6 primary, early voting will launch April 1, with in-person voting generally offered from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays through May 2.

County elections officials will stay open until 9 p.m. April 7, and early voting will be offered from 8 a.m. to noon May 3, the final Saturday before Election Day.

A comparable schedule will be in place for the Nov. 4 general election, with weekday voting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Oct. 7. Boards will be open for early voting from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for two Saturdays — Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.

Husted’s directive includes no early voting on Sunday or on the Monday before Election Day. The directive takes into account legislation signed into law by Gov. John Kasich last week eliminating golden week, the period of time when Ohioans could register to vote and cast ballots on the same day.

“In 2014, absentee voters will have the option of voting in person for four weeks, or they can vote without ever leaving home by completing the absentee ballot request form we will be sending all voters,” Husted said in a released statement. “Our goal is to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat and to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity in the voting process no matter which method they choose.”

Husted has urged the Republican-controlled Legislature to codify uniform hours for early voting in all of Ohio’s 88 counties, but lawmakers have not yet acted on the issue.