Questions about voting? Ask them. The Akron Beacon Journal has answers

Hey voters, particularly first-time voters, we see you.

Do you have questions about how to vote, where to vote, what's on your ballot or what some voting terms mean?

The Akron Beacon Journal has answers.

We’ve put together a Q&A of commonly asked questions about everything from where to vote to what the perplexing taxing term "millage" means.

But this isn't the end. We’re guessing you’ll have more questions about voting leading up to the Nov. 5 election, and we’re here to answer them.

No question is too small, too complicated or too off-the-wall. We’ll try to answer them all.

To ask the Beacon Journal your questions about voting, fill out the form at bit.ly/AskTheBeacon . (Note that the URL is case sensitive.)

Or you can fill out the form below:

When is Election Day 2024?

You can vote Election Day, Nov. 5, at polling places across Summit County, all of which open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Note that if you’re standing in line when a poll closes on Election Day, you will still be allowed to vote.

Who can vote?

You can vote in Ohio Nov. 5 if you are registered, at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and not incarcerated.

What is the deadline to register to vote for the 2024 general election?

The registration deadline for the Nov. 5 election is Oct 7.

How do I register to vote in Ohio?

To register online, go to olvr.ohiosos.gov .

To register by mail, request a registration form from the board of elections, state license bureau, your local library or the Secretary of State’s office by mail, telephone, in person or by having another person obtain it for you.

After completing the form, return it to the Summit County Board of Election’s office by mail. It must be postmarked 30 days before Nov. 5 to be valid.

To register in person, visit the board of elections, a state license bureau, any library or public high school or vocational school.

In addition to basic information like your name and address, you’ll need either your Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification number, along with the last four digits of your Social Security number, to register to vote.

How do I know if I'm registered to vote?

Some states, like Minnesota and Colorado, automatically register people to vote when they interact with state agencies, most often when residents obtain or renew a driver's license.

Registering to vote in Ohio isn't automatic. You must be proactive and register yourself.

If you can’t remember if you’ve registered to vote in Summit County, or if you fear you may have fallen off the voter roles, go to bit.ly/OhioVoterLookup to type in your name and check your status.

How do I find out where I'm supposed to vote Nov. 5?

The Summit County Board of Elections has an easy online tool to find out where you should go to vote. Registered voters can type in their first and last names, hit enter and see the address where they should vote, which is called a polling place. If there is more than one voter with your name in Summit County, scroll down the list of names and find your home address. That will show your polling location. You also can see directions to your polling place, a list of your elected officials and a neighborhood map of your voting precinct.

See the voter information tool here.

How do I know what's on the ballot?

The Summit County Board of Elections online tool also shows you what will be on the upcoming ballot and what specifically you’ll be voting on in your precinct. It’s based on your home address. Type in your street number, street name and, if it has one, choose the direction of the street from a pull-down menu (like East Market vs. West Market). Select "sample ballots" on the righthand side. The results will show you a sample ballot listing of who and what you can vote on in the upcoming election based on where you live.

Check out your ballot information here.

How do I vote early?

You have two choices: Vote early in person at the Summit County Board of Elections at 470 Grant St. in Akron during limited dates and times leading up to Election Day, Nov. 5, or vote by absentee ballot, which can be mailed or dropped off in a locked box at the board of elections.

When is early in-person voting for the November general election?

If you want to vote early in person, the Summit County Board of Elections will follow the following statewide schedule:

• Oct. 8-11: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Oct. 14-18: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Oct. 21-25: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Oct. 26: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Oct. 27: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Oct. 28: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Oct. 29: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Oct. 30: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Nov. 1: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Nov. 2: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Nov. 3: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

What ID do I need to bring with me to vote Nov. 5 or to vote early in person?

The state of Ohio requires voters to present one valid form of photo identification. Any one of these will work:

• Ohio driver's license;
• State of Ohio ID card;
• Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV;
• A U.S. passport;
• A U.S. passport card;
• U.S. military ID card;
• Ohio National Guard ID card; or
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card

All photo IDs must have an expiration date that hasn’t passed, a photograph of the voter and the voter’s name.

If you’ve moved since obtaining your Ohio driver’s license or state ID and your address has changed, your ID will still be accepted at your new polling place as long as your name is on the precinct voting list.

If you don’t have any of these, Ohioans who are 17 years or older can now receive a free state ID card at Bureau of Motor Vehicle locations.

Information about how to receive a free ID is available here .

Can I use my Social Security card or birth certificate to vote?

No. Many documents are NOT accepted as valid forms of ID to vote in Ohio, including: Social Security cards, birth certificates, insurance cards, utility bills, bank statements, government checks and paychecks.

What is absentee voting?

Absentee voting is early voting by mail or drop box. Voters opt for absentee voting either because they think it’s more convenient – no lines – or because they won’t be available to cast an in-person ballot Nov. 5 because of work, travel or something else.

How do I vote early by absentee ballot?

All Ohio voters whose registration information is up to date can fill out an application for an absentee ballot, which will be mailed to them. Applications are available through the board of elections.

If you want to vote absentee, start by going here and print out an application.

Make sure to fill out all the questions correctly and sign the form, or the application will be rejected.

Once the form is complete, you can either mail it or drop it off at the Summit County Board of Elections office: Summit County Board of Elections, Absentee Department, 470 Grant St., Akron, OH 44311.

The board will then mail you an absentee ballot to fill out and return, either by mail or at the drop box at the board of elections.

You can track both your request and your ballot online with this nifty tool .

Note that the board of elections cannot accept faxed or emailed absentee ballots. If you choose to snail mail your absentee ballot, the envelope must be postmarked by the day before the election.

If you choose to drop off your absentee ballot, it must be in the drop box at the board of elections parking lot by 7:30 p.m. Election Day. It is the only ballot drop box in Summit County. Polling places cannot accept absentee ballots.

You can request a ballot up to seven days before the election, but election officials say it’s best to request a ballot earlier to assure not only that it gets to you in time, but also that you have time to return it.

What is the deadline this year for early voting?

The final day to cast an early in-person ballot at the board of elections is Nov. 3 between 1-5 p.m.

The final day to mail your absentee ballot is Nov. 4. This means mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 4 to be counted.

What is a precinct and how do I find out which one I live in?

A precinct is an area established by each county’s board of elections with no more than 1,400 people who can vote. Each precinct generally has its own polling location to serve the people who live in the precinct.

To find your precinct, type your name into this online board of elections form . The results will show which precinct you live in and where you can cast a ballot in person Nov. 5.

How long does voting take?

Once you’re in a voting booth, casting a ballot usually takes less than five minutes.

But there can be lines to get to the booth, particularly during presidential elections, like the upcoming November election. Voter turnout usually surges during presidential races.

Boards of elections plan for that increased turnout. Elections in Summit County have run fairly smoothly in recent years, though people in other U.S. states have reported waiting in lines for hours to cast ballots.

Can I bring my kids to vote?

Yes. Of course, children can’t vote, but many families use the experience to teach children how to vote and about the rights and responsibilities of voting in a democracy. Kids may even get an “I voted” sticker, or borrow the one their parents get after casting a ballot.

What is the difference between a bond and a levy?

A bond issue on a ballot is seeking voter approval to take out a sort of loan to pay for capital improvements like a new building, road or major infrastructure upgrade or repair.

The money is received up front from the sale of bonds to investors and paid back by the taxpayers, with interest, over time. Although bonds end up costing more, they also spread out the costs to people in the future who will use the new school, road or upgraded facility.

A ballot issue with a levy is a request for additional funds to be used immediately. Many school districts define it this way: Levies are for learning and bonds are for building.

There are three kinds of levies: New, renewal and replacement.

New levies are what they say there are: A request for voters to pay a new tax.

A renewal levy asks voters to maintain the tax level they approved earlier. Even if their property value has increased since the original levy passed, the amount property owners pay will not go up.

A replacement levy almost always costs taxpayers more. Sometimes a replacement – which takes the place of an existing levy previously passed by voters – seeks to raise millage, which raises taxes. Other times, a replacement levy seeks to maintain millage. But because property values generally rise, property taxes will rise with the new assessments.

What is a mill?

Mills, or millage, is a device used to collect property taxes on a sliding scale. Ohio school districts and other public entities, like park districts or municipalities, often use mills to fund services.

Instead of everyone paying the same amount of property tax  – whether they own a small apartment or a big mansion – property tax is calculated based on millage and how much a tax assessor determines a property is worth.

The League of Women Voters offers this example: If you see a ballot measure asking for a 2 mill levy, and your house is worth $100,000 (according to the county auditor, not your Realtor), the tax being asked for is $70 per year.

In math terms, that’s $100,000 (value of your house) x .35 (to find the taxable value) x .002 (which is 2 one-thousandths of a dollar) = $70 per year.

People who rent property do not directly pay property taxes. Landlords, however, often raise rents to cover the costs of increasing tax on properties they own.

How do write-in votes work?

Technically, you can cast a vote for anyone – Sponge Bob, Bob Dylan or Bob Costas – as a write-in candidate in Ohio, but that vote won’t count.

In Ohio, write-in candidates must file in advance with their local board of elections to receive votes.

Voters then have the option of writing in the names of those candidates, and those votes will be counted alongside other named candidates on a ballot.

If you choose to vote for a write-in candidate, the precise spelling of the person’s name is not required.

General, primary and special election − what's the difference?

General elections happen in November. During a general election, you can vote for federal, state and local officials, along with voting for and against issues like tax levies and other measures.

General elections are held nationwide the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The date fluctuates year by year.

This year, it’s Nov. 5, and it’s also a presidential election year, which happens every four years.

Primary elections in Ohio happen in May. They are partisan elections where each party chooses candidates for the general election the following November.

Ohio has what’s called an "open primary," which means voters do not have to register with a political party to participate. Voters select the ballot of the party whose primary they wish to vote in at the polling place on Election Day. Voters are free to switch which party they vote for between election years.

Special elections can be called to decide issues or to replace officials who either resigned, died or were removed from office.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Questions about voting? Ask them. The Akron Beacon Journal has answers