Office of Service-Learning

Your Right. Your Responsibility. Vote.

         Why Vote?

(Click the image above)

1. Register:

Deadline: Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Voter registration forms are available at:

BGSU Office of Service-Learning
315 University Hall, 419-372-9865
communityservice@bgsu.edu

2. Be Informed:

Prepare to vote in Wood County by reading local newspapers and accessing local news programs.

• Sentinel Tribune
• BG News
• Toledo Blade
• Toledo Free Press

Visit: smartvoter.org/oh/wd for a collective list of local Wood County issues and information on local, state, and national candidates. 

Events:
NPHC, LSU, NAACP, BIG, NABJ, BSU & NCNW
Presents: Will Bands Make YOU Vote?
October 18, 2012 7:30pm Olscamp 111
Free Food & Drinks & Guest Speakers!
Come learn about the issues that affect you, hear people views on the election, and more…

NAACP
Presents: "VoteSmart"
October 22, 2012 7:00pm BA 1007
The "Vote Smart" informational is a chance to learn what's on the ballot for this upcoming election and gain more information about both the Republican and the Democratic Party. The College Democrats and College Republicans will be giving information on each party, issues, and addressing why this election is crucial for college students. Come listen, take notes, and ask questions. NAACP wants you to vote, and Vote Smart.

3. Vote:

• Early Voting: Begins October 2nd at the Wood County Courthouse
• Register and Vote Same Day: October 2-9 at the Wood County Courthouse
• Election Day: November 6th. 
  • On-campus: Student Union 
  • Off-Campus: Specified Precinct Location

Verify if you are registered to vote in Ohio

To find your polling location:
Visit www.co.wood.oh.us/boe/
Select “Voter Information”
Select “Polling Locations”

What you will need:
Picture ID (not BGSU ID) & One item with your name and Bowling Green address:
• Card received in mail confirming voter registration
• A government check or document
• A utility bill from last 12 months
• Paycheck with Bowling Green address

For more detailed information check out this informational brochure.
Also, visit the Ohio Secretary of State's website here.

Important Information Regarding Provisional Ballots!

When voters cast a provisional ballot, they also submit a Provisional Ballot Affirmation form. That form is what is reviewed to determine the eligibility of the cast ballot and whether it will be counted in the election. On that Affirmation form, voters must provide a form of ID. They write in A) their last four digits of their Social Security number or B) their Ohio Drivers' License number or C) provide one of listed acceptable forms of ID which have a corresponding box to fill in designating which was presented.

So, what's the issue?
Ohio's Secretary of State has issued an order that includes the phrase "If you do not check one of the following boxes affirming the type of ID you showed to the precinct election official ... the board of elections will conclude that you did NOT show ID to your precinct election official and you must show ID at the board of elections during the 10 days after the election for your vote to be eligible to be counted."
What does this mean? If the box is not checked, it will be considered Voter Error rather than Poll Worker Error.

What now?
This new order will undergo a hearing soon, likely tomorrow to decide upon the ruling. However, we encourage anyone going to the polls who may be asked to cast a Provisional Ballot to make sure they provide their last four digits of their Social Security number or their Ohio Drivers' License number, or if they submit any of the other forms of ID to the poll worker that they make sure the box gets filled in either by the poll worker or by themselves corresponding to the ID presented. The counting of provisional ballots may be what decides this election and we want to make sure every eligible ballot is counted and not pushed aside due to an avoidable error.

For more info, please refer to these articles:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/in-ohio-vote-a-form-checking-nightmare
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics

If you were sent an absentee ballot in the mail and you've decided instead to vote on Election Day, you will be handed a provisional ballot on Election Day. We ask that you make it a priority today and tomorrow to ensure students are aware of this potential barrier and of voter ID rules via text, email or class announcements. I've attached a palm card that can be printed and handed out noting acceptable forms of ID. If your campus is offering transportation to the polls, or a meeting spot to walk to the polls, have "Election or Voting Ambassadors" available on buses or at meeting spots to pass out voter ID palm cards and talk about acceptable forms of ID and other potential barriers such as listed above (Ambassadors can be from the Student Government, College Democrats, Republicans, or other student groups).

If you encounter problems on Election Day, contact the following organizations for assistance:

    Fair Elections Legal Network:  (202)-331-0114

    Election Protection:  866-687-8683 (866 OUR VOTE), or through their smartphone app.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!
communityservice@bgsu.edu
419-372-9865 or you can stop by the office, 315 University Hall