HOW DO I REGISTER TO VOTE?
You can fill out a registration form at the Wood County Board of Elections at the county building annex behind the courthouse on Court Street in Bowling Green. Or you can call the Board of Elections at 354-9120 to request a form by mail. You can also register at the place where you renew your driver's license.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS I MUST MEET TO REGISTER?
You must be a United States citizen, a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election, and 18 years of age by the date of the General Election. You do not need to show any identification to register.
WHAT IS THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER?
The registration deadline for any election is 30 days before that election.
I WON'T BE 18 UNTIL OCTOBER 25. WHEN CAN I REGISTER TO VOTE?
You may register to vote while you are only 17. If you will be age 17 at the time of the Primary election but age 18 by the date of the November General Election, you may vote in the Primary election for candidates only, not issues. Therefore, you should register by the registration deadline 30 days before the Primary election. Presidential Primaries are in March, Gubernatorial Primaries and Local Primaries are in May.
WILL I EVER HAVE TO RE-REGISTER?
If you move within Wood County, or from another county in Ohio, you should notify in writing the Wood County Board of Elections at least 30 days before an election. If you forgot to change your address before an election, you may go to the polling place of your new address, change your address and vote. Call the Board, preferably before Election Day, for the address of your new polling location.
If you change your name, you must notify the Board of Elections.
DO I HAVE TO CHOOSE A POLITICAL PARTY WHEN I REGISTER TO VOTE?
No, you won't be asked your party. (There's not even a place to write it on the form!) You will need to declare a party at a Primary Election to vote for party candidates. But you may vote on ballot issues at a Primary without declaring a party.
IF I REQUEST A PARTY BALLOT IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION, CAN I VOTE FOR CANDIDATES OF A DIFFERENT PARTY IN THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION?
Yes, you may vote for any candidates of your choice in November regardless of how you voted in the Primary. Your ballot is secret; no one will know how you voted.
CAN I VOTE IF I WON'T BE HOME ON ELECTION DAY?
There are new laws in effect that change many aspects of voting by absentee ballot. First, voters are no longer required to provide a reason for needing a ballot. Any registered voter can request an absentee ballot from the Board of Elections (BOE).
Second, voters must now provide additional information in order to request an absentee ballot. See the full list of required information below. There is also a new form that voters can use to request a ballot. This new form asks for all the information that is now required to be provided in order to receive an absentee ballot.
All absentee ballots must be returned to the Board of Elections office by the 7:30 PM on election day. (excluding out-of-county civilian or out-of-country military absentees which must be signed or postmarked by Election Day and received by the BOE office within 10 days after the Election).
Voters wishing to vote absentee can do so in the Board of Elections office, Monday-Friday, between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm once ballots for a specific election are available. In-person absentee voting will be available until 7:30 p.m. the day before any Primary or General Election. The BOE office is open until 4:30 p.m. the day before Special Elections.
Voters wishing to receive an absentee ballot by mail may request a ballot by writing or faxing the Board of Elections office using an application form that can be downloaded from the BOE website. Voters are NOT required to use the form; they can apply by supplying our office with the following information:
Mail your completed form to: Absentee Applications, Wood County Board of Elections, One Courthouse Square, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402, or Fax to: (419) 354-1730
Mail-in absentee ballot requests must be received by the Saturday before an election at 12 Noon.
Please print and sign your request. If more than one voter in a household requests a ballot, the BOE must have the signature of each person. Please include a phone number in case of error or question.
If you have any questions about the new laws or these absentee ballot procedures, please feel free to call The Board of Elections office at (419) 354-9120 or visit the:Wood County Board of Elections website.
HOW DO I KNOW WHERE TO VOTE?
After you register the Board of Elections will send you a card telling you where your polling place is. If you lose the card, you call the Board of Elections.
HOW DO I ACTUALLY VOTE? (I HAVE NEVER DONE IT, AND I DON'T WANT TO LOOK STUPID)
The poll worker at the polling place will assist you. There are new identification requirements at the polls. Voters must bring identification to the polls in order to verify identity. Identification may include a current and valid photo identification, a military identification that shows the voter's name and current address, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the voter's name and current address. You show your identification and you tell them your name and address; they will show you where to sign the poll book. After you sign you are handed a card for the voting machine. You then enter the poll booth, vote and return the card to a poll worker.
Ballots in Wood County are now on touchscreen electronic voting devices. There is a practice machine at each polling place and a poll worker can show you how to use the machine before you enter the poll booth.
For more detailed information about how to vote, visit the:
Wood County Board of Elections website.
DATES TO REMEMBER IN THE YEAR 2008
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ON VOTING AND CANDIDATES?
From the League of Women Voters, the Secretary of State, Board of Elections and local civic organizations. There is a wealth of information on the internet on civic, political and governmental sites. Candidates may establish their own web sites.
The Bowling Green League of Women Voters collects nonpartisan information about issues and candidates for the Voters' Guide. The Sentinel Tribune publishes the Voters' Guide at no charge to either the League or the voters. Publication is usually sometime the week before the General Election. There will also be information on this website before major elections.