Though Ohio University students have been asked to stay off-campus, there are still options for students to vote during Ohio’s March 17 primary.
Out-of-town students registered in Athens can either request an absentee ballot, come to Athens and vote early or vote in town on election day, Debbie Quivey, director of the Athens County Board of Elections, said. Ballot requests must be received by mail by the Board of Elections before the 12 p.m. deadline on Saturday, March 14.
Students can vote early in-person at the Board of Elections office at 15 S. Court St. on March 12 and 13 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; on March 14 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; on March 15 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; and on March 16 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
All Athens County polling locations will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on March 17, the day of the primary. All absentee ballots must be received by the board of elections by 7:30 p.m. that day, either delivered by the voter or by mail.
Out-of-town students may also vote with a provisional ballot if they miss the absentee request deadline or can’t drive to Athens for the primary.
“Let’s say I’m a student here, I’m registered here, but I go back home to Franklin County,” Quivey said. “I can vote a provisional ballot from Franklin County if I’m claiming a permanent address there.”
Quivey said doing this would change a student’s voting registration from Athens County to their home county, so they would need to change it back if they planned on voting in Athens again.
While Quivey doesn’t know how OU’s request for students to stay home will impact student voter turnout, it will inevitably affect how students vote in Athens.
“I don’t know what the students will do, you never know,” Quivey said. “Absolutely it’ll impact students voting here in Athens; they’re not gonna be here.”
The Athens County Board of Elections was also forced to move the polling location for Precincts 1 and 3 of Athens Ward 1 due to the coronavirus.
The original polling location for those precincts was the Appalachian Behavioral Health Center at 100 Hospital Drive. The new location is now at the Ohio Means Jobs building at 510 W. Union St.
Quivey said the location had to be changed due to the concern of introducing coronavirus to residents housed at Appalachian Behavioral Health Center.
“This move is necessary due to restrictions in place at the Appalachian Behavioral Health Care concerning Coronavirus/COVID-19,” a postcard that was mailed to residents by the Board of Elections read.
All other polling locations are currently unchanged, and updates can be found on the Athens County Board of Elections website.
