COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio's municipal primary election takes place on May 2 with new voting laws now in effect.
"So many things are impacted by your local elected leaders everything from infrastructure to public safety," Keary McCarthy with the Ohio Mayors Alliance explained.
But not everyone will have something to vote on, McCarthy added.
"It will largely depend on your city," he said.
Cities like Akron and Canton have mayoral primaries, but other areas around Ohio are voting on bond issues, tax levies and liquor sale proposals.
Click or tap here to look at some of the key races from around NEO.
If you do plan to vote, Mike West from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections breaks down what you can do to make sure you don't get turned away at the polls.
"You really have all the tools you need to be prepared; that way you know A.) if you're in the election, B.) if you have the right kind of I.D. and C.) exactly where you're supposed to go and vote," West said.
Laws have changed since the last election, so here is what you need to know.
Do I have anything to vote on?
Find out if you have anything to vote on by going to your board of elections' website. You can click for a sample ballot. Once you provide your information, the website should tell you if you have anything to vote on.
For example, News 5 Statehouse reporter Morgan Trau lives in Columbus which is in Franklin County. Her sample ballot simply says, "No candidate/issues to vote this election."
However, other Columbus residents may have issues to vote on, but her specific subdivision doesn't.
Click or tap here to download a list of all the issues counties are voting on Tuesday.
If you do not know your county's website, click or tap here. This contains their emails and phone numbers.
Polls
Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Voter identification
You need to bring a photo ID when voting in person. Acceptable forms are a valid Ohio driver's license, a U.S. passport or a military ID. You may no longer use bank statements or utility bills.
Other acceptable forms of ID are a state of Ohio ID card; an interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV, a U.S. passport card, an Ohio National Guard ID card and a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card.
Other unacceptable forms of ID are a driver’s license or photo identification card issued by a state other than Ohio; a Social Security card, birth certificate, insurance card, government check, paycheck or other government document or any registration acknowledgment notice from the county board of elections.
The IDs must have an expiration date that has not passed; a photograph of the voter, and the voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the Poll List or in the Poll Book.
If you do not have any of the approved forms of identification, you are allowed to cast a provisional ballot. To have your vote counted, you must return to the BOE within four days of the election to provide a photo ID.
Absentees
If you are using the postal service, make sure to follow these guidelines.
"If you have requested a vote by mail ballot and you still have not returned that ballot, it has to be postmarked as of today," West said.
A new law requires boards of elections to only count ballots that reach the officials within four days, so West said the best bet is to bring it to your county BOE before the polls close at 7:30 on Tuesday.
Around 41,000 absentee ballots were sent out, according to the Secretary of State's office. As of Thursday, 18,000 of them had been returned. Of that, 3,200 were received via dropbox.
Election day
About 26,000 people have already cast a ballot in person during early voting, the state said.
"It's really important for voters to be educated on what the laws are and to make sure that they show up with a game plan and be advocates for themselves," McCarthy said.
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
