Dear friends,
Election Day is just 2 ½ weeks away, and we encourage you to get your vote in early if at all possible. Here’s the schedule for Early Voting going forward:
- TODAY: Fri, Oct 16: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Mon, Oct 19 – Fri, Oct 23: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sat, Oct 24: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Mon, Oct 26: 7:30 am to 7:30 pm
Tues, Oct 27: 7:30 am to 8:30 pm
Wed, Oct 28 – Fri, Oct 30: 7:30 am to 7:30 pm
Sat, Oct 31: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Sun, Nov 1: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Do you need a ride to Early Voting? Submit a request here. We have volunteers able to help transport those who need a ride. If you make a request for a ride, we will work with you to schedule a mutually convenient time.
Voting By Mail is also well underway. You should have already received your ballot if you requested it a while ago. Fill out the ballot and return it to the Board of Elections as soon as possible. And, if you have any questions whatsoever about the status of your mail-in ballot, you can get answers by clicking here or by calling the Board of Elections at 740-393-6716.
The Knox Dems Slate
Still not sure who to vote for? Start with a look at the ballot in your specific precinct. Find a sample of your ballot by clicking here, then simply enter your last name and your first name and hit “Submit” – On the screen that displays your registration information, click the button labeled “Sample Ballots.” This will allow you to see a ballot that looks exactly like what you will fill out when you vote.
Note that all of the Democratic Party candidates have the designation “Democratic” under their name. We, of course, recommend voting for those people.
Some races show either only a Republican candidate or no party designation at all. Those races do not have a Democratic Party candidate and are uncontested. You can fill in the bubble next to the name shown, or choose not to vote at all in that race – It doesn’t really matter because the outcome of those races is already decided; the uncontested candidates will win. (This is precisely why we are always asking people to consider running for office!)
For more information about our candidates:
Read about the candidates endorsed by the Knox County Democratic Party on the Elections page on our website. We’ve provided short descriptions and a link to each candidate’s website.
Keep in mind the following:
Without Democratic Party wins in the justice races (Jennifer Brunner and Marilyn Zayas), we will have an Ohio Supreme Court that is 100% Republican. Imagine what that could mean for our rights and freedoms!
Wins by our Ohio Senate and Ohio House candidates can help bust the Republican supermajority that has hurt our public schools, gerrymandered our election maps, and worked for Republican legislators’ personal enrichment. Our Democratic Party candidates will be focused on listening to and representing people’s interests.
Sherrod Brown as our U.S. Senator and Jerrad Christian as our U.S. Congressman will work to hold Trump accountable. Vote for the checks and balances that the founding fathers intended!
Vote NO on Ohio Issue 3
In addition to the candidate elections, you will see some issues and levies on your ballot. Most of the issues and levies vary depending on where in Knox County you live. However, Ohio Issue 3 is one that we all vote on. It proposes an amendment to the Ohio Constitution, and this is the language on the ballot:
This proposed amendment would:
- Require voters to present an approved form of government‐issued photo identification in order to vote.
- Allow state law to provide for an alternative method of verifying a voter’s identity for a voter who has a sincere religious objection to being photographed and, therefore, does not possess an approved form of government‐issued photo identification.
- Require that voters who do not vote in person provide an approved form of government‐issued photo identification, unless the law authorizes those persons to vote by providing a signature and at least one other specified unique identifier.
- Define approved forms of government‐issued photo identification as an unexpired Ohio driver license or state identification card; a United States passport or passport card; or a United States military identification card, Ohio National Guard identification card, or United States Department of Veterans Affairs identification card.
If approved, the amendment shall take effect immediately.
A “YES” vote means approval of the amendment. A “NO” vote means disapproval of the amendment.
On the surface, this may seem reasonable. However, there are significant reasons we are recommending that you vote NO:
This is an unnecessary amendment because the identification methods listed are already required by law.
Codifying this in the Ohio constitution would make it very difficult to change in the future when we may want to take advantage of new technological methods (such as retina scans or facial recognition), which might be superior to physical IDs such as driver’s licenses.
The wording on identification required for those not voting in person (the third bullet in the language above) is vague, and seems to leave open possibilities that could make it far more difficult for people to vote by mail.
Issue 3 is being proposed, not because it is needed, but because the Republican secretary of state and legislators want to further stir up fears about the legitimacy of our elections and hope that the issue will excite their voters to get out to vote. We vote NO!
Office Hours & Yard Signs
We are now open Monday through Saturday, 11 am to 3 pm. Stop by to pick up a yard sign (or five) and to get answers to your questions about how to vote.
If you can’t make it into the office but would like a yard sign (or five!), fill in this form. We’re especially eager to fill major streets with signs (for example, Coshocton Avenue, Route 3, or Route 36) and we’ll do our best to bring sign(s) to you as soon as possible.
Get Out the Vote Event
Join Amy Acton and Other Democrats
for a Community Meet & Greet
Date: Tuesday, October 20
Time: 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Doors Open: 5:00pm
Location details to be provided after RSVP: https://www.mobilize.us/ohioansfordramyacton/event/999706/
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I’ll close by wishing you very happy voting! Let’s look forward to celebrating our successes after Election Day.
Kathy Tate, Chairwoman
Knox County Democratic Party