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There’s A Way To Track Your Ballot In Ohio Other Than Illegally “Voting Twice”

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — In North Carolina Wednesday, President Trump told voters to cast a ballot by mail then go to vote in person later. He says if they are declined the right to vote, they’ll know their mail-in ballot counted. But it is illegal for voters in Ohio to do that.

A poll worker helps a voter to a machine at Franklin County's early voting center in Columbus on Sunday, March 15. In-person voting for the March 17 primary was cancelled the next day and the mail-in deadline was extended to April 28.
A poll worker helps a voter to a machine at Franklin County’s early voting center in Columbus on Sunday, March 15. [Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau]
Jen Miller with the League of Women Voters of Ohio says doing what Trump suggested, even if it’s just to test the mail in ballot system, is illegal.

“It is absolutely illegal to attempt to vote twice. We do not want to see Ohio citizens doing that,” Miller says.

Miller and Secretary of State Frank LaRose suggest voters use the online feature that allows them to track their mail in ballots instead. All 88 county board of elections have the feature:  VoteOhio.gov/Track.

LaRose says a voter who is marked in the pollbook as requesting an absentee ballot will be given a provisional one if they show up in person to vote. And only one vote will count.

But knowingly casting two votes in one election is against Ohio law and voters who do that have been prosecuted in the past.

President Trump, who himself votes by mail-in ballots, has questioned the validity of them recently. Trump has made baseless claims about  mail-in ballots being used as a vehicle to commit voter fraud.

LaRose has repeatedly said Ohio has a system with a lot of checks and balances. Voters who are concerned about putting their ballots in the mail system can deposit them in a drop box at their county board of elections. Or voters can vote, in person, beginning on October 6th and up until Election Day.