Ohio’s early-voting schedule in 2014 will include two Saturdays and no Sundays.
Secretary of State Jon Husted (R) released the schedule on Tuesday. During the four weeks leading up to Election Day, voters will be able to cast absentee ballots in person at voting locations that will be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on weekdays. The polling locations will also be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the last two Saturdays before the election.
“In 2014, absentee voters will have the option of voting in person for four weeks, or they can vote without ever leaving home by completing the absentee ballot request form we will be sending all voters,” Husted said in a statement. “Our goal is to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat and to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity in the voting process no matter which method they choose.”
According to the Northeast Ohio Media Group, Democrats in the state have already criticized the schedule, “saying the lack of weekend hours will make it harder for blue-collar workers and minorities to vote, especially in urban areas.” Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, a Democrat running for governor, called the schedule “unacceptable.”
