Staff report

COLUMBUS — Early voting has begun for the Nov. 7 general election in Ohio.

Early voting begins the day after the close of voter registration, and registered voters may cast an early in-person ballot at their county board of elections. Ohio is one of 12 states that allows at least 29 days of early-voting.

“Ohioans can be proud of the fact that our state is considered the gold standard for how we administer elections, as we make voting accessible and convenient, while ensuring confidence in the results because they are secure from fraud,”

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said. “In Ohio, we make it easy to vote and hard to cheat, and early voting is another feature of our election system that makes voting accessible to every registered voter.”

When Ohioans head to the polls, voters will make their voices heard on two important statewide issues:

• A Self-Executing Amendment Relating to Abortion and Other Reproductive Decisions

• To Commercialize, Regulate, Legalize, and Tax the Adult Use of Cannabis

LaRose’s office noted that, in December 2022, the legislature passed House Bill 458, to “modernize and strengthen how elections are administered in Ohio.”

The new law requires voters to provide an Ohio or federally-issued photo identification on Election Day.

Valid types of photo identification include:

• Ohio driver’s license

• State of Ohio ID card

• Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV

• U.S. passport

• U.S. passport card

• U.S. military ID card

• Ohio National Guard ID card

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card

All photo IDs must have an expiration date that has not passed.