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MARIETTA - People throughout Washington County still have time to get registered to vote for the November general election.
People are still able to register to vote in Washington County until 9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5 at the Board of Elections office at 204 Davis Ave. Suite B in Marietta.
People can also register to vote online at the Washington County Board of Elections' website at at www.boe.ohio.gov/washington/ or the Ohio Secretary of State's website at www.ohiosos.gov/
"When people get their driver's license renewed they can register (at the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles)," said Emily Webb, an election specialist in the Washington County Board of Elections Office.
People registering to vote must be a citizen of the United States and resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election; not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction under state or federal law; have not been permanently disqualified from voting for election-law violations and someone has not not been declared incompetent to vote by a probate court, according to the Ohio Secretary of State's website.
When registering to vote, Webb said the best thing people can bring in is a valid Ohio driver's license or a state issued ID card issued through the BMV if they are no longer able to drive.
Teens who will be 18 by Election Day on Nov. 3 can register now so they will be ready to vote that day, Webb said.
People can check with their office to see if they are registered to vote.
Webb said people need to make sure their current address is correct by the registration deadline.
"That determines their precinct or ward that they would get a ballot for," she said.
People can check on their website or call in to see where the location of their precinct or ward is voting at on Election Day.
People can also check on their website to see a sample ballot for the upcoming election, Webb said.
"They can do that ahead of time, if they like," she said. "It would be the specific ballot to their address when they look themselves up."
Absentee ballots need to be applied for through the Board of Elections office. People can apply for absentee ballots up until Oct. 27 at 8:30 p.m. The first absentee ballots will be sent out in the mail on Oct. 6.
There is a drop box available for people to drop off their absentee ballot applications at the office, Webb said.
"They can do that or hand it in at the counter," she said.
Ohio law requires all absentee ballots to be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, according to the Secretary of State's website. People are encouraged to mail them back as early as possible to make sure they arrive on time, it said.
Early voting takes place at the Board of Elections office on the following days and times:
* Tuesday, Oct. 6 to Friday, Oct. 9 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Monday, Oct. 12 to Friday, Oct. 16 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Monday, Oct. 19 to Friday, Oct. 23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Saturday, Oct. 24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
* Monday, Oct. 26 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
* Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
* Wednesday, Oct. 28 to Friday, Oct. 30 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
* Saturday, Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
* Sunday, Nov. 1 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
"A lot of people think they can come into our office and vote on Election Day, but no they can't," Webb said, adding people need to go to their assigned precinct on Election Day.
If people are in line on Election Day at 7:30 p.m. they will be allowed to vote. Personnel will watch any lines and will identify the last person in line at the proper time to be allowed to vote, Webb said.
"Usually, we don't have that problem here," she said.
If people have questions or want to check their status or have other concerns, they can call the Washington County Board of Elections Office at 740-374-6828.