Voter Registration Ends Oct. 9

To vote for mayor, governor or congressional representation next month, make sure your registration is complete or up to date

Ashley Sah, Social Issues Investigations Reporter|October 9, 2018

David Vahey

“If you could get everyone to come out and vote, it could turn the tides in a lot of elections,” Senior Isabel Levin said. Voting registration ends today, Oct. 9.

The deadline for voter registration in Ohio is today, Oct. 9.

It is important to register to vote by today in order to vote in the upcoming midterm elections. “Registration is a structural requirement required by law in order to participate in voting, and I think everyone should register,” government teacher Kimberly Owens said.

Eligible voters can check the status of their voter registration on the Ohio Voter Registration Website. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, eligible voters include U.S. citizens who will be 18 years old before the Election Day, Nov. 6. If someone is eligible to vote, they are not automatically counted as a registered voter.

Shaker voters will choose a new Ohio governor, elect a Shaker Heights mayor and re-elect or elect a new U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative.

If someone has already voted, they may need to re-register to vote if they have changed their address since they last voted or were released from incarceration, according to the Ohio Election Official Manual.

Eligible voters can register online through Ohio’s online voter registration service. The form will ask for people who are registering to provide their, name, date of birth, address, Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card number, and the last four digits of their Social Security number.

Ohio law does not require someone to affiliate with a political party or provide their ethnic or racial group when registering to vote.

According to the DMV, another option for voter registration is to fill out a Ohio Voter Registration Form and submit it via mail or in person to any Board of Elections office. In Cuyahoga County, the local Board of Elections office is located on 2925 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH 44115 and is open from 8:3o a.m to 4:30 p.m.

When sending the Voter Registration form by mail, the Board of Elections office must receive the form by the deadline.

Senior Isabel Levin, a newly eligible voter, said it’s critical for young people to register to vote. “A lot of people think there one vote doesn’t matter, but that’s a big mass mentality, so that does make a difference. If you could get everyone to come out and vote, it could turn the tides in a lot of elections.”