CLEVELAND — Who will be the next President of the United States? Voters across the country will make that decision in the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
But the battle for the Oval Office isn't the only issue you need to know before casting your ballot as the November election also features Ohio Issue 1 along with a series of school levies and races.
So what's on your local ballot? Where is your polling place? What hours are the polls open? We explore all that and more in our primary election guide below...
WHERE IS MY POLLING PLACE?
You can find your polling location HERE.
WHEN ARE THE POLLS OPEN?
Polls are open throughout Ohio for the Nov. 5 general election from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Remember, you are still permitted to vote as long as you're in line before the polls close at 7:30 p.m.
WHAT'S ON MY BALLOT? HOW DO I SEE A SAMPLE OF MY BALLOT?
Is there a school levy on your ballot? Any issues that could impact your taxes? Here's your chance to study up before heading to the polls. CLICK HERE to see a sample of your ballot.
OHIO ISSUE 1
You've probably seen the political ads for both sides of Ohio Issue 1, but what does your vote on this issue actually mean?
Issue 1 is a proposed Ohio state Constitutional amendment "to create an appointed redistricting commission not elected by or subject to removal by the voters of the state." (Majority "yes" vote required to pass)
Reporting on Issue 1 below comes from 3News' Stephanie Haney:
WHAT IT MEANS TO VOTE 'YES' AND 'NO' ON ISSUE 1
Legally Speaking, a vote for Issue 1 is a vote to change how our voting districts are drawn in the state of Ohio by taking politicians out of the process.
A vote against Issue 1 is a vote to maintain the status quo, and allow politicians to continue to completely control what our voting districts look like.
ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST ISSUE 1
Right now, our voting districts for Ohio's House and Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives are drawn by elected politicians. The people supporting Issue 1 want to change that.
They say our elected leaders shouldn't be in charge of choosing how the people they represent are grouped together, because it's led to politicians creating voting districts that help keep them in power.
People who oppose Issue 1 say that it's not a good solution to this problem because it would require voting districts to "closely correspond" to statewide party preferences, which is something that our current voting districts as drawn by our elected leaders do not do.
U.S. SENATE BATTLE
In addition to the presidential race, Ohio voters will also decide a closely watched battle as Republican Bernie Moreno is up against incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown for a seat in the U.S. Senate.
SCHOOL LEVIES
There are a number of schools throughout Northeast Ohio with a levy on the ballot. Is your district one of them? See the list HERE.
WHAT FORM OF ID SHOULD I BRING SO I CAN VOTE?
You need to have a form of ID with you to cast a ballot on election day. Acceptable forms of identification as listed by the Secretary of State's office are as follows:
- Ohio driver's license
- State of Ohio ID card
- Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV
- A US passport
- A US passport card
- US military ID card
- Ohio National Guard ID card
- US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card
All photo IDs must have the following:
- An expiration date that has not passed
- A photograph of the voter
- The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the Poll List or in the Poll Book
Ohio law prohibits acceptance of the following forms of ID:
- Driver’s license or photo identification card issued by a state other than Ohio
- Social Security card
- Birth certificate
- Insurance card
- Utility bill
- Bank statement
- Government check
- Paycheck
- Other government document
- Any registration acknowledgment notice from the county Board of Elections
What if I forget my ID?
"If you do not provide one of the above forms of photo ID, you will still be able to vote using a provisional ballot," according to the Secretary of State. "However, for that ballot to be counted, you must return to the Board of Elections no later than four days following Election Day to provide a qualifying form of identification. If you do not have a photo ID because of a religious objection to being photographed, you may complete an affidavit of religious objection and have your provisional ballot count."
WHAT'S THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THIS YEAR'S ELECTIONS?
This has already passed as the deadline was Oct. 7.
WHEN CAN I VOTE EARLY IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION?
Early voting has now concluded.
WHAT ABOUT ABSENTEE VOTING BY MAIL?
Here are the dates you need to know...
- Oct. 8: Absentee voting by mail begins
- Oct. 29: Absentee ballot applications must be received by your Board of Elections by 8:30 p.m.
- Nov. 4: Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by this date.
- Nov. 5: Absentee ballots may be returned to your local county Board of Elections by the time polls close at 7:30 p.m.
- Nov. 9: Last day for Board of Elections to receive mailed-in ballots that were postmarked on or before Nov. 4.
HOW DO I REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT?
This is now CLOSED for the November election.
WHAT TIME WILL RESULTS COME IN?
We expect to see the first results shortly after 7:30 p.m. Absentee ballots are the first votes counted, according to the Secretary of State's office.
WHERE CAN I WATCH FOR RESULTS?
WKYC will share the special election results with updates after the polls close, which you can check at wkyc.com/elections. Be sure to follow WKYC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for complete coverage. Here's what you can expect from 3News:
- Breaking election results will be available through push alerts with the free WKYC app. You can download our news app here: Android, Apple.
- Results and reaction as our reporters bring you the latest details. Watch for these updates during our newscasts at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
- A complete wrap up the following morning on GO! from 4-7 a.m.
- Subscribe to our free 3News to GO! newsletter HERE to have the election results and other top headlines sent straight to your e-mail inbox.
SHOW OFF YOUR 'I VOTED' STICKER
Did you get your "I Voted" sticker? Send us a picture on Facebook, Twitter or by texting it to us at 216-344-3300 (please include your name and location). If you voted absentee, you can download a virtual "I Voted" sticker to show off HERE.