Today is Election Day! Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Voters will have many important decisions to make from state and federal offices to state and local issues in this midterm General Election.
Reminders for Voters
Voters are reminded to bring proper ID with them to the polls today. This includes:
Unexpired Ohio driver’s license or state ID
Military ID
Current (within the past 12 months) utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document with your name and current address
Any voter that does not know where to vote can look up their polling location on our website. They may also download a sample ballot to review prior to voting. Click here for “My Voting Info”
Vote-by-Mail Ballots
People who vote by mail must be aware that the deadline to mail their ballot has passed. Voted ballots may only be returned to the Board of Elections office and must be received by 7:30 p.m. tonight. Voters may utilize a special ballot box located in the Board of Elections parking lot at 2925 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland (Map). Ballots cannot be dropped off at a voting location on Election Day, however, if a voter cannot return their ballot the Board of Elections they may vote a provisional ballot at their polling place.
Each year, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections hires about 4,500 election officials to work the polls for the General Election. Having enough people staff each polling location is critical to the overall success of the election, which is why we don’t take any chances. We are now hiring stand-by poll workers to step up in the event someone cannot fulfill their Election Day assignment.
Stand-by poll workers will receive a minimum stipend of $100 for being on call Monday and reporting on Tuesday. See below for additional requirements, and click here to apply.
Early voting for the November 6, 2018 General Election begins today. Voters are invited to take advantage of this convenience by either voting in person at the Board of Elections or by mail.
We kicked off the day by visiting the United States Postal Service where Director Pat McDonald held a press conference to discuss early voting. This morning, 70,000 ballots arrived for mailing and we expect to send out close to 130,000 ballots by the end of this week!
Thousands of vote-by-mail ballots are unloaded as they arrive at the United States Postal Service.
Vote-by-mail & early-voting ballots are projected to make up 30-35% of the total ballots cast this election. Right now, we project close to 45% turnout with approximately 400,000 total ballots cast. We will have a better idea of what turnout will be as we get closer to Election Day.
During his remarks, Director McDonald emphasized the importance of voting. He said, “These ballots represent the democratic voices of tens of thousands of people who will soon be voting. I’m happy to say they will begin arriving in mailboxes later this week.”
Pat McDonald, Director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, greets members of the media during a press conference to kick off the start of early voting.
Director McDonald also encourages voting by mail, recognizing that Cuyahoga County will be one of the most watched counties in the State of Ohio. We have the highest number of people who vote by mail in the state, illustrating it is a solid and dependable voting method. He stated, “Voting by mail is safe & secure. Throughout my 11 years working at the Board of Elections, we have never had any major issues with delivery or return of ballots through mail. The United States Postal Service is an excellent partner & handles ballots with care & attention.”
Fun Fact: Vote-by-mail and early-voted ballots are the first to be counted on election night.
Voting by Mail
There is still plenty of time to vote by mail. The application deadline is noon on November 3, but voters should submit their request ASAP to ensure they receive their ballot well ahead of Election Day on November 6. Click here for Vote-by-Mail Application form and instructions.
Voters can track their absentee ballot with VoterNotify, a tracking tool that sends a text or email when the absentee ballot has been mailed out and again when it is received at the Board of Elections. Click here to learn more.
Early Voting In Person Voters may vote in person at the Board of Elections located at 2925 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115 during the following dates and times.
Weekdays, October 10 – 26: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Weekdays, October 29 – November 2: 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Saturdays, October 27 & November 3: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 4: 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Monday, November 5: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Voting at the Polls
Of course, voters may vote on Election Day (November 6, 2018) at their assigned polling location. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Click here to find polling location.
Today, October 9, 2018, is the last day to register or update your voter registration for the November 6, 2018 General Election. Our offices will remain open until 9:00 p.m. tonight to ensure all voters get their registrations in on time. We are located at 2925 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115 (map). If you have an Ohio driver’s license, you may use the online registration system at www.myohiovote.com.
The November 6, 2018 General Election will be here before you know it! Now is a great time to familiarize yourself with what to expect for this midterm election.
The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections will be visiting a community near you to provide voting resources in preparation for the November 6, 2018 General Election. Come to one of the following events for:
Official Election results released today by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections show that four contests ended in tie votes. This includes the candidates in the race for Republican State Central Committee, Senate District 23 (woman). Candidates Doris Durica and Candice Miller both received 5,128 votes.
This situation rarely occurs and normally only happens in small races with low numbers of votes. But in this case over 10,000 ballots were cast. “I have been in the election business for over ten years and I have never seen anything of this magnitude,” said Pat McDonald the Director of the Board of Elections. “With the thousands of ballots cast in this race the chances of a tie are extremely low. This also proves once again that every vote counts and that a single ballot can make the difference between who wins and who loses,” said McDonald.
The next step in the process for all of the tied races will be to flip a coin to determine the winner at today’s Board meeting. The contest will then be subject to an automatic re-count. If a tie remains following the re-count the outcome of the coin toss will stand.
There are also coin flips scheduled for the following seats:
Dem County Central Com East Cleveland -03- A
Jacqueline Goodrum 36 41.38 %
O. Mays 36 41.38 %
James Page 14 16.09 %
(Write-In) 1 1.15 %
Dem County Central Com Shaker Heights -00- A
Mary O. Boyle 81 50.00 %
Lisa D. Nguyen 81 50.00 %
Dem County Central Com Middleburg Heights -02- A
David Dean 2 50.00 %
Dan Jenkins 2 50.00 %
The official results will also lead to automatic re-counts for two issues because the differences in the vote totals are less than one half of one percent:
Issue 2: Beachwood CSD – Bond Issue and Tax Levy:
For the Bond Issue and Levy 2,030 49.94%
Against the Bond Issue and Levy 2,035 50.06%
Issue 12: North Olmsted Bond Issue
For the Bond Issue 3,300 49.77%
Against the Bond Issue 3,331 50.23%
Author: Mike West, Media and Voter Education Specialist, Cuyahoga County Board of Elections
Whether you voted in person or by mail, we want to hear about your experience! Please take a few moments to share your feedback through our voter survey. The responses help to ensure we are doing all we can to conduct successful elections. All responses are confidential.
Today is Election Day! Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Voters will have many important decisions to make from federal offices to state and local issues in this Primary Election.
Reminders for Voters
Voters are reminded to bring proper ID with them to the polls today. This includes:
Unexpired Ohio driver’s license or state ID
Military ID
Current (within the past 12 months) utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document with your name and current address
Any voter that does not know where to vote can look up their polling location on our website. They may also download a sample ballot to review prior to voting. Click here for “My Voting Info”
Vote-by-Mail Ballots
People who vote by mail must be aware that the deadline to mail their ballot has passed. Voted ballots may only be returned to the Board of Elections offices and must be received by 7:30 p.m. tonight. Voters may utilize a special ballot box located in the Board of Elections parking lot at 2925 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland (Map). Ballots cannot be dropped off at a voting location on Election Day.
