2020 has been a very challenging year, but we are faced with a history-making election and we want to make sure the Democratic voters of Summit County have the information they need to vote safely and impactfully.
Timelines & Deadlines
Oct. 5 – Deadline to register to vote in Nov. 3 election (BOE closes at 9:00pm)
Oct. 6 – Absentee ballots mailed, in-person early voting begins at BOE (click here for early voting hours)
Nov. 2 – Mailed-in absentee ballots must be postmarked
Nov. 3 – Election Day. Polls open from 6:30am-7:30pm. Hand-delivered absentee ballots must be dropped off by 7:30pm at the BOE.
Registering to Vote
Ohio voters can register to vote or update their registration either online or with a paper form. The deadline to register to vote in the November 3rd general election is Monday, October 5th – you have until the Board of Elections closes at 4:30pm to turn in your registration.
Lookup your Voting Info
Summit County voters can check the status of their voter registration, lookup their elected officials, find their polling location, get directions to their polling location, see a map of their precinct, and more on the BOE’s Voter Lookup tool.
Early Voting
The SCDP strongly encourages our voters to vote early this year, whether by mail or early in-person.
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Mail-In Voting - Mail-in voting, also known as absentee voting, has existed in the U.S. for well over a century, and is arguably the safest way to vote during the continued COVID-19 crisis. In order to vote by mail, voters must first request an absentee ballot by filling out and submitting an Absentee Ballot Application. You can pick one up at the BOE, at Democratic Party HQ, or simply print your own at home! Don't forget to write November 3, 2020 for the election date, and check General Election on the form. You must then either mail it to the Summit County Board of Elections at 470 Grant St., Akron, OH 44311, or drop it in the secured dropbox located outside of the BOE. If you are registering to vote or updating your registration, you may turn the registration form in together with the application. We strongly encourage those voting by mail to submit their application by the end of September to get their ballot in a timely manner.
The Board of Elections will begin mailing Absentee Ballots on Tuesday, October 6th. When you receive your ballot in the mail, please vote the entire ballot and return it to the Board of Elections as soon as possible! If you are mailing your ballot in, the absolute latest that you can mail it is Monday, November 2nd (please do not wait this long). Ballots postmarked after that date will not be counted. If you are hand delivering your ballot to the BOE, you have until the polls close at 7:30pm on Election Day to deliver it to a BOE employee, or drop it in the dropbox outside the BOE. Ballots received after 7:30pm will not be counted.
You can track the status of your ballot application and your ballot on the BOE's website. Once you have requested your ballot, you must either vote by mail or vote early in-person at the BOE. If you requested an absentee ballot but then attempt to vote in-person on Election Day, you will have to vote provisionally.
If you have questions or concerns about this process, or have any issues with your application or ballot being received, do not hesitate to contact the Summit BOE at (330) 643-5200.
- Early In-Person Voting - Voters may also choose to vote early in-person at the BOE's Early Vote Center on Grant St. in Akron. Early voting begins on Tuesday, October 6th and continues until the day before Election Day. Click here to view the full schedule. We strongly encourage voters not to wait until the final week of October/early November to vote, as there will be considerably fewer voting booths this year than in previous years due to social distancing guidelines. This could result in much longer wait times, and lines that stretch far into the parking lot due to voters keeping their distance in line. If you plan to vote early in-person, we encourage you to go as early as possible in the month of October to avoid having to wait. And don't forget to say hello to our friendly Poll Greeters in the parking lot and pick up your Democratic Sample Ballot on your way in!
2020 Democratic Sample Ballot
Click here for a full list of endorsed Democratic candidates on this year's ballot which you can bookmark for when you vote from home, print out and take with you when you vote early or on Election Day, and share with your Democratic family and friends. Don't forget to vote the whole Democratic ticket! Remember: From Biden to Betty, from Harris to Hightower!
Volunteer to be a Poll Greeter
Voters in Summit County will have nearly three dozen offices on their ballots this year, and we want to make sure our fellow Democrats know who their candidates are. This is especially important in our judicial races, where party affiliations do not appear on the ballot. The easiest and most effective way to do this is by getting a Democratic Sample Ballot into the hands of every Democratic voter on Election Day. A Poll Greeter handing a Sample Ballot to a voter is the last opportunity we have to help our Democratic candidates before that voter casts their ballot, and we need your help to make sure every Democrat in Summit County is reached.
Sign up here to be a Poll Greeter on Election Day