Early voting in Ohio began on Tuesday

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Today is the first day of early voting for the 2020 General Election. The voter registration deadline was Monday.

Voting hours through this Friday, October 9, are 8 a.m.-5 p.m., with the same hours also applying next week (October 12-16) as well. Other voting hours are as follows:

• Week of October 19-23, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Saturday, October 24, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Sunday, October 25, 1-5 p.m.
• Week of October 26-30, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Saturday, October 31, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Sunday, November 1, 1-5 p.m.
• Monday, November 2, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

Registered Van Wert County voters may also vote absentee by applying for an absentee ballot (application on Board of Elections website (https://boe.ohio.gov/vanwert/absentee-information/), while those without a means to access the application online can call the Board of Elections at 419.238.4192 to request an application be sent to them.

Those voting absentee can mail in the ballot to the Board of Elections office, 1362 E. Ervin Road, Van Wert, OH 45891 (ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, to be counted), can return ballots to the Election Board office, or place them in the secure drop-box on the Jennings Road side of the Board of Elections building.

In addition to the presidential election, there are statewide races for two seats on the Supreme Court of Ohio. John P. O’Donnell and Sharon L. Kennedy are running for one of the seats, while Judi French and Jennifer Brunner seek the other Supreme Court seat.

There is one countywide issue: a 0.7-mill, five-year permanent improvement levy renewal for Vantage Career Center, while Brumback Library also has the renewal of its 0.5-mill, five-year operating levy on the ballot in all county precincts except those in the Delphos City Schools. There is also a renewal levy for voters in the Ridge Township West Fire District.

In the city of Van Wert, there is also a two-part issue related to charter government. The first asked the question of whether a Charter Commission be chosen to frame a charter for the city, while the second part of the issue lists the names of 16 people (15 to be elected) who are candidates for the charter commission. If the first part of the issue is approved by voters, the 15 charter commission members chosen would then meet to draw up a charter for the city. The charter itself would still have to be approved during a subsequent general election.

Polling sites in Van Wert County include the following:

• Delphos precincts in the county — Assembly of God ROC Church, 808 Metbliss Ave., Delphos
• Van Wert city and Pleasant Township precincts — Board of Elections Office, 1362 E. Ervin Road, Van Wert
• Villages of Convoy and Wren, and Harrison, Union, and Tully townships — Redeemer Lutheran Church, 6727 State Route 49, Convoy
• Village of Middle Point and Hoaglin, Jackson, and Ridge townships — Community Building, 303 W. Sycamore St., Middle Point
• Villages of Ohio City and Willshire and Jennings, Liberty, and York townships — Community Building, 306 Lambert St., Ohio City.