Our important mid-term election is less than 50 days away.

Are you registered to vote?

In order to vote in the November 6 general election, citizens aged 18 or older must be registered to vote by October 9, 2018.

If you aren’t yet a registered voter, or if you’re not sure of your registration status, NOW is the time to act.

Not sure if you’re qualified to vote in Ohio? Here are the requirements:

• You must be a citizen of the United States.
• You must be at least 18 years of age on or before November 6, 2018.
• You must have been a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election.
• You are not incarcerated for a felony conviction under Ohio law, the law of any other state, or the United States.
• You have not been declared incompetent to vote by a probate court.
• You have not previously violated election laws and had your right to vote permanently revoked.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently approved our current Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted’s plan that will allow the Ohio Secretary of State to remove registered voters from the state’s list of registered voters if they haven’t voted in any two-year period. Beginning with this election, county election officials will flag registered voters who don’t vote. If you were a registered voter who didn’t vote in the 2016 Presidential election and have not voted since, you stand a chance of being removed from voting rolls.

No voter will be removed from the rolls until after the November 6 election, so if you haven’t voted in awhile and want to avoid the nasty surprise of discovering later on that you have had your right to vote revoked, you have yet another reason to get to the polls this year!

Has your address changed since the last time you voted? Are you new to Ohio? Have you never registered to vote, or do you need to check to see if you’re registered to vote in our state? Registration is easy. You can register online at My Ohio Vote or in person at your county Board of Elections (see list below). You can download a voter registration form here to mail in.

No matter where you register or update your registration, you will need to provide the following information:

• Your Ohio driver’s license or state ID card
• Your name
• Your date of birth
• Your street address
• The last 4 digits of your Social Security Number.

To contact your county Board of Elections online, visit the Ohio Secretary of State or consult the list below:

• Athens County: 15 S. Court St., Room 130, Athens 45701 (740) 592-3201
• Clinton County: 46 S. South St., Room 126, Wilmington 45177 (937) 382-3537
• Fairfield County: 951 Liberty Dr., Lancaster 43130 (740) 652-7000)
• Highland County: 1575 N. High St., Suite 200, Hillsboro 45133 (937) 393-9961
• Hocking County: 93 W. Hunter St., Logan 43138 (740) 380-8683
• Madison County: 1423 State Route 38 SE, London 43140 (740) 852-9424
• Morgan County: 155 E. Main St., Room 157, McConnelsville 43756 (740) 962-3116
• Perry County: 200 S. Jackson St., New Lexington 43764 (740) 342-2134
• Pickaway County: 141 W. Main St., Suite 800, Circleville 43113 (740) 474-1100
• Ross County: 475 Western Ave., Suite D, Chillcothe 45601 (740) 775-2350
• Vinton County: 31935 State Route 93, McArthur 45651 (740) 596-5855

On November 6, Ohio voters will choose a governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, court judges (state and local), state representatives and senators, Congressional representatives, and a U.S. Senator, as well as mayors and other local officials. This is an important election! Register to vote, then cast your ballot on election day or during early voting. Your vote is your voice. It’s the way to have a say in all levels of government that will affect your life and the lives of those you love.