November election 99 days away

(The Center Square) — With 99 days until the November general election, key dates are approaching for Ohio voters.

The November election will decide the next president, the state’s next U.S. senator and three congressional races that some call competitive.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose released a list of important dates as the election countdown moved inside 100 days, including Sept. 20, when military and overseas absentee voting begins.

“Every Ohioan who’s eligible to vote in this election should have a plan to know how, when and where to cast a ballot,” LaRose said. “That starts with having a trusted source of election information. It might be your county board of elections or the VoteOhio.gov website maintained by our office, but it’s important to make sure you double-check key info such as your polling location, your voting hours and what identification you need to show when you vote. It’s also helpful to plan ahead and decide whether you want to vote early by mail, early in person or at the polls on Election Day. Now is the time to start preparing.”

The voter registration deadline is Oct. 7, and absentee and early, in-person voting begins the next day.

Absentee ballots can be requested on the secretary of state’s website .

Nov. 4 is the last day to postmark absentee ballots mailed to local election boards, and Nov. 5 is Election Day.

Democrats hold all three seats in the congressional races expected to be competitive.

In the Cincinnati area, first-term Rep. Greg Landsman faces Republican Orlando Sonza, a certified public accountant and Hamilton County assistant prosecutor.

Near Toledo, incumbent Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur continues to be a target for Republicans. She faces state Rep. Derek Merrin, who lost a bid to become the state House speaker last year.

In the Akron-Canton area, first-term Democrat Emilia Sykes faces former state Sen. Kevin Coughlin.