Wondering what’s on your ballot, where to vote early, or what counts as an acceptable form of ID for the Nov. 3 general election in Licking County? You’re not alone.

Currently, there are 126,061 people registered to vote in Licking County, according to the Licking County Board of Elections website. While a vast majority of them — 87,748 — are not registered with a party, 27,077 are registered Republicans, 11,073 are registered Democrats and 163 are registered Libertarians. And at The Reporting Project, we’ve heard questions from readers and residents — a couple people, not 126,061 — about how to learn more about the upcoming election.

Here are some guides and answers to frequently asked questions

This page will continue to be updated prior to the Nov. 3 primary election in Licking County.

How can I find out what’s on my ballot?

Go to the board of elections website and click on “Election info” and then on “Ballots.” Make sure the first menu box is set to the Nov. 3 general election. And in the second menu box, type in “city” or “village” or “township,” and another menu box will appear that will allow you to type in your specific township, village or city. And then, it will magically pull together a sample ballot that tells all of the issues and races that will appear on your ballot.

In Ohio, you do not need to declare a party affiliation when registering to vote, but you do affiliate with a political party by requesting that party’s ballot in a partisan primary.

You can also find out more about local issues and candidates in contested races here.

Licking County Commissioner candidates

Three candidates are running to be the next Licking County Commissioner, vying for a seat currently held by Rick Black, who is retiring at the end of the year. Those three candidates include Democrat Kathy McLeish, Republican Mark A. Van Buren and write-in candidate Brian Belcher.

All three candidates participated in a live candidate forum co-hosted by WCLT and The Reporting Project, and all three sat down with The Reporting Project for interviews. Read about all three candidates below.

Kathy McLeish vies to be first Democratic Licking County commissioner in nearly 20 years

Mark A. Van Buren seeks to return to county commissioner office after nearly two decades

Write-in candidate Brian Belcher seeks open Licking County Commissioner seat

How can I vote early?

Early, in-person voting began at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at the board of elections office at 20 S. 2nd Street in downtown Newark. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through Friday, Oct. 23. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24; from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26; from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27; from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 until Friday, Oct. 30; from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1. 

There will be no in-person early voting the Monday before Election Day.

In-person voting on Election Day will be from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Absentee ballots — including mailed ballots — must be returned to the board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

What counts as an acceptable form of ID?

Under Ohio law, there are several forms of ID that are acceptable for casting your ballot, according to the Ohio Secretary of State website. Those include:

  • An Ohio driver license
  • State of Ohio ID card
  • Interim ID form issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles
  • A U.S. passport or U.S. passport card
  • A U.S. military ID card
  • A U.S. military dependent ID card
  • Ohio National Guard ID card
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card

What about mail-in absentee ballots?

Voters can request an absentee ballot for an upcoming election at any time. After voter registration closed on Monday, Oct. 5, you may request and vote absentee at the Licking County Board of Elections.

Under Ohio Senate Bill 293, which took effect March 20, absentee ballots must be received by the board of elections before polls close at 7:30 p.m. on election day. Previously, ballots postmarked before election day could arrive up to four days post-election and still be counted. The new law eliminates that grace period. Any ballots received after the deadline will not be counted, with the exception of those cast by military and overseas voters.

“I would say, as soon as you get [your mail in ballot], vote it and send it back to us,” said Tess Wigginton, director of the Licking County Board of Elections. “That’s the safest way to do it.”

Voters who are close to the deadline are encouraged to return absentee ballots in person. The Licking County Board of Elections office has drop boxes available both inside and outside the building.