Latest news with #earlyVoting
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Summit County Board of Elections office moves to East Tallmadge Avenue location
Those wishing to vote early or have other business with the Summit County Board of Elections will need to go to the elections board's new location at 1050 Tallmadge Ave. The board of elections office officially opened at its new location on June 30 from its longtime spot on Grant Street. Pete Zeigler, the deputy director of the board of elections, said that Summit County is leasing the space, which is adjacent to the Ohio Means Jobs offices, from the Summit County Land Bank. "We're in the same big building," Zeigler said of the close proximity the elections board office shares with OMJ. "We now have signage up as well so people can find us." The Grant Street location is now closed. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening at 2 p.m. July 15. Tours will follow the ceremony. Those wishing to attend should RSVP at The new space will provide more room for not only the staff but for Summit County residents, particularly early voters, Zeigler said. "The county realized that we were limited if we had stayed there," he said of the Grant Street location. "It was undersized in both our storage needs and in areas for staff to work, and our early voting center. In 2016, we started early voting, and it has skyrocketed since. There was no means to expand the building and parking." Regular hours at the board are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For details, or the elections board's Facebook page, or call 330-643-5200. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Summit board of elections welcomes voters to Tallmadge Avenue space
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Voters favored casting early and mail ballots in last year's presidential election, report shows
ATLANTA (AP) — Casting mailed ballots remained popular among voters in last year's presidential election, even as President Donald Trump has tried to undercut the process through a wide-ranging executive order. A report released Monday by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission also found a surge in early in-person voting and robust use of ballot drop boxes, which have been a target of conspiracy theorists since the 2020 election. The findings, based on data collected at the local level and submitted by states, illustrate the sustained popularity of alternate voting methods even as they have come under attack in recent years from Republicans. 'Notwithstanding the rhetoric from some, our election process continues to reflect the expectations voters have about where, when and how to vote,' said David Levine, a former county election official in Idaho who is now a senior fellow at the University of Maryland's Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement. 'Once voters try voting before Election Day, they often continue to do so for future elections.' Overall, more than 158 million ballots were counted for the November 2024 presidential election, according to the report. Turnout was 3 percentage points lower than in 2020 but nearly 4 percentage points higher than during the 2016 presidential election. Mail voting is popular despite rhetoric Roughly 30% of voters last fall used a mail ballot, a decline from the 43% who did so during the pandemic election in 2020 but higher than pre-pandemic elections, when mail ballots typically accounted for about 25% of votes cast. The report noted that four states – Democratic-leaning Washington and Republican-leaning Indiana, South Dakota and Utah — saw higher percentages of mail voting in 2024 than four years earlier. Trump has long complained, without providing evidence, that mail voting opens a pathway to fraud. The election executive order he signed in March, which is facing several lawsuits, targets mail voting by saying all ballots must be received by Election Day. Currently, 18 states and Puerto Rico accept mailed ballots received after Election Day as long they are postmarked on or before that date. Oregon and Washington, where elections are conducted almost entirely by mail, filed their own lawsuit against the order fearing that tens of thousands of their voters could be disenfranchised if it is allowed to stand. During a news conference announcing the lawsuit, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said more than 300,000 ballots in his state arrived after Election Day in 2024. Popularity of early in-person voting surges The report found the 2024 presidential election saw a drop in Election Day voting and a corresponding increase in early, in-person voting. Election Day voting declined from 49% in 2022 to roughly 37% in 2024, when 35% took advantage of voting early. Republican-dominated South Carolina and Democratic-leaning Delaware had the largest increases in early, in-person voting compared to four years ago. Republicans last year mounted a campaign to reverse years of conservative criticism of early voting methods and persuade their voters to cast ballots before Election Day, a strategy that helped Trump win a second term. Ballot drop boxes used heavily where they are allowed Since Trump's loss in 2020, conservative activists and conspiracy theorists have zeroed in on ballot drop boxes as a potential source of fraud despite no evidence of that occurring in that year's elections. Some Republican-led states have since blocked their use or reduced their availability. But they remain popular in other parts of the country. The report found drop boxes were in use in 35 states plus the District of Columbia in 2024. Of those, 21 states reported a total of nearly 15 million mail ballots returned with the use of a drop box, accounting for about 45% of all mail ballots returned by voters. Of the states that reported data on ballot drop boxes for 2022 and 2024, four states reported double-digit increases in the percentage of mail ballots returned at drop boxes: the Democratic stronghold of California, Republican-leaning Kansas and Utah, and swing state Nevada.
Associated Press
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Voters favored casting early and mail ballots in last year's presidential election, report shows
ATLANTA (AP) — Casting mailed ballots remained popular among voters in last year's presidential election, even as President Donald Trump has tried to undercut the process through a wide-ranging executive order. A report released Monday by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission also found a surge in early in-person voting and robust use of ballot drop boxes, which have been a target of conspiracy theorists since the 2020 election. The findings, based on data collected at the local level and submitted by states, illustrate the sustained popularity of alternate voting methods even as they have come under attack in recent years from Republicans. 'Notwithstanding the rhetoric from some, our election process continues to reflect the expectations voters have about where, when and how to vote,' said David Levine, a former county election official in Idaho who is now a senior fellow at the University of Maryland's Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement. 'Once voters try voting before Election Day, they often continue to do so for future elections.' Overall, more than 158 million ballots were counted for the November 2024 presidential election, according to the report. Turnout was 3 percentage points lower than in 2020 but nearly 4 percentage points higher than during the 2016 presidential election. Mail voting is popular despite rhetoric Roughly 30% of voters last fall used a mail ballot, a decline from the 43% who did so during the pandemic election in 2020 but higher than pre-pandemic elections, when mail ballots typically accounted for about 25% of votes cast. The report noted that four states – Democratic-leaning Washington and Republican-leaning Indiana, South Dakota and Utah — saw higher percentages of mail voting in 2024 than four years earlier. Trump has long complained , without providing evidence, that mail voting opens a pathway to fraud. The election executive order he signed in March, which is facing several lawsuits, targets mail voting by saying all ballots must be received by Election Day. Currently, 18 states and Puerto Rico accept mailed ballots received after Election Day as long they are postmarked on or before that date. Oregon and Washington, where elections are conducted almost entirely by mail, filed their own lawsuit against the order fearing that tens of thousands of their voters could be disenfranchised if it is allowed to stand. During a news conference announcing the lawsuit, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said more than 300,000 ballots in his state arrived after Election Day in 2024. Popularity of early in-person voting surges The report found the 2024 presidential election saw a drop in Election Day voting and a corresponding increase in early, in-person voting. Election Day voting declined from 49% in 2022 to roughly 37% in 2024, when 35% took advantage of voting early. Republican-dominated South Carolina and Democratic-leaning Delaware had the largest increases in early, in-person voting compared to four years ago. Republicans last year mounted a campaign to reverse years of conservative criticism of early voting methods and persuade their voters to cast ballots before Election Day, a strategy that helped Trump win a second term. Ballot drop boxes used heavily where they are allowed Since Trump's loss in 2020 , conservative activists and conspiracy theorists have zeroed in on ballot drop boxes as a potential source of fraud despite no evidence of that occurring in that year's elections. Some Republican-led states have since blocked their use or reduced their availability. But they remain popular in other parts of the country. The report found drop boxes were in use in 35 states plus the District of Columbia in 2024. Of those, 21 states reported a total of nearly 15 million mail ballots returned with the use of a drop box, accounting for about 45% of all mail ballots returned by voters. Of the states that reported data on ballot drop boxes for 2022 and 2024, four states reported double-digit increases in the percentage of mail ballots returned at drop boxes: the Democratic stronghold of California, Republican-leaning Kansas and Utah, and swing state Nevada.
ABC News
29-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Can I vote early in the Tasmanian state election? When does pre-polling start?
Tasmania's state election will be held on Saturday 19 July and early voting is now open. Here is some information about getting your vote in ahead of polling day. You bet! If you expect to be unable to vote in person on polling day, then you're able to cast your vote early. Pre-poll voting centres will be available across the state from Monday 30 June. The Tasmanian Electoral Commission (TEC) has provided a list of early voting locations here. There are seven early voting locations statewide that are now open, with a further eight to open on 14 July. They'll be open from 8.30am until 5.30pm weekdays and until 6pm on Friday 18 July. A quiet voting hour for voters with sensory needs is available at all pre-poll locations from 10 am to 11 am daily. There are a few different ways to vote early: Pre-poll voting centres will be open at various locations across the state from Monday. Once you arrive at a pre-poll centre, you must declare you are unable to attend a polling place on polling day before you can cast your vote. If you aren't able to vote in person on July 19, you can apply to vote by post. You need to apply through the TEC by completing and returning an application form. Postal ballot packs will be sent out from Monday June 30. Applications close at 4pm on Friday July 11. You can also vote early by telephone. The TEC recommends this as the easiest option if you expect to be interstate or overseas on polling day. It is also a convenient option for voters with a print disability, which the TEC defines as: Telephone voting will be available from 11am on Monday 7 July. More information about telephone voting will become available during the week. TEC mobile voting teams will be set up at nursing homes and hospitals around the state. Further details, including a list of locations, will be published in the week commencing Monday, June 30. And for voters with low-vision or visual disabilities, special terminals are available in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie, with more to be made available on election day. They will be open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm weekdays and until 6 pm on Friday 18 July, and locations can be found here. The TEC has you covered. Just enter your address at this link here to find out which division you live in. Voting is compulsory in Tasmania. Tasmania uses a different system from the rest of the country, called Hare-Clark. You need to number seven boxes on your ballot paper, otherwise your vote won't count! At last year's election, Tasmania became the country's leader in votes that don't count — meaning a lot of voters either deliberately or accidentally didn't comply with the rules. There are instructions for how to vote on your ballot paper and you can also ask polling booth staff for help. No, sorry. We are not there yet.
New York Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Far More New Yorkers Voted Early This Year, With Strong Showing by Younger Voters
More than twice as many New York City voters chose to cast their ballots early in this year's mayoral primary compared with the last mayoral primary, in 2021. This year, 384,388 voters showed up to early-voting sites during the week and a half preceding Primary Day, according to the Board of Elections's preliminary numbers. Early voting ended Sunday evening. In 2021, 190,744 people voted early in the primary, a lackluster turnout that was most likely depressed by concerns about voting in person during a pandemic. At a minimum, the increase this year suggests New Yorkers have grown more accustomed to early voting, which began in New York City in 2019. The 2021 primary, in which Eric Adams won the Democratic nomination for mayor, was the first major city election in which it was put to the test. 'First of all, in 2021, we were still mainly in an absentee-ballot environment, because it was still Covid,' said Sarah Steiner, an election lawyer in New York City. And, Ms. Steiner added, 'all of the candidates for everything have been saying 'Early vote, early vote, early vote,' and so there's been a lot more publicity about the early voting.' Absentee ballots must be returned or postmarked by Tuesday in order to be counted in this election. In 2021, city voters returned 125,000 absentee ballots to the Board of Elections. As of Monday, 55,194 absentee ballots had been returned, according to Vincent Ignizio, a Board of Elections spokesman. Andrew M. Cuomo, the former governor now running for mayor, argued on Sunday that 'the higher the turnout the better.' He said that voters were showing up in higher numbers because they were 'scared' of the election's possible outcome. But Andrew Epstein, a spokesman for Zohran Mamdani, the assemblyman running to Mr. Cuomo's left, expressed hope that the surge in early voting, particularly among younger voters, could indicate an expansion in the electorate. Almost a quarter of all early voters this year had not voted in a Democratic primary since before 2012, if ever, according to a CUNY Center for Urban Research analysis first reported by Gothamist. 'We always knew that turning the page on the corrupt politics of the past and taking on the biggest crises in the lives of working-class New Yorkers would require a surge in turnout, especially from people who had not been part of the political process before,' Mr. Epstein said. The early voting data, he said, was 'an encouraging sign that that movement is coming together.'
