Voting today? Here’s what you should know

Ohio University students and permanent residents of Athens alike will take to the polls today to vote for a new mayor, city council members and more. If you haven’t voted in Athens before, you may have some questions about how voting in Athens works.Can I vote?If you registered to vote in the city of Athens, yes. Even if your Ohio driver’s license has a different address than your one in Athens, you should be okay to head to your polling place. (The Board of Elections should have sent you a card verifying both your registration and your polling place, but if you’re not sure, check below.)If you don’t live in Ohio, you should still be able to vote as long as you are registered in-state. Since out-of-state students often do not have Ohio driver’s licenses, they are being directed to office 212 in Cutler Hall in order to get an address verification that will prove they live in Athens and allow them to vote. How do I know if I’m registered?The Athens County Board of Elections allows you to search registrations here. Enter your name as you would have when you registered into the search bars and it will pull up whatever registration records, including name and address, the Board of Elections has on file.Where can I vote?This depends entirely on where you live.If you live in Scott Quadrangle or the residence halls on South Green or West Green — with the exception of Bromley Hall — you can cast your ballot at Baker Center. Those in Bromley or Voigt Hall can vote at City Hall at 8 East Washington Street. If you live on East Green, you can visit Jefferson Hall at 46 East Green Dr. in order to vote.If you live off-campus or are otherwise unsure, check this website from the Board of Elections.Who is running?No state-level candidates appear on this November’s ballot. Several spots in the city government are up for grabs, however.For instance, Councilman Steve Patterson, D-At Large, is running unopposed for mayor. Democrats Christine Knisely and Kathy Hecht are running for re-election unopposed for their positions as city council president and auditor, respectively. Lisa Eliason, a Democrat, is running for director of Law for the city. If elected, she will be the first woman to hold an elected law position in the city. Other positions open include two township trustee spots, township fiscal officers and two board members for the Athens City School Board.The only contested race this year is for the three at-large city council seats. The five candidates running are Democrats Jennifer Cochran, Peter Kotses and Joan Kraynanski, Republican Aaron T. Dauterman and Independent Patrick McGee. To learn more about these candidates, check out our voters’ guide.What are the issues?In Ohio, three major issues appear on the ballot. Issue 1 tackles partisan gerrymandering in Ohio. The issue is rare in that it has bipartisan support. Issue 2 is designed to prevent citizen initiatives from creating economic monopolies in the state. Issue 3 deals with the legalization of marijuana and has been met with some vocal protesters both in support of and against the issue.More information on each of these issues can also be found in our voters’ guide.What does the ballot look like?The ballot is straightforward. It has the name of each person running for the available positions and the full text of each of the issues. If you would like to see the ballot before you head to the polls, you can see a sample here.How will I know what happens?The New Political will have live updates available on Twitter at @TheNewPolitical and from individual reporters using the hashtag #AthensElection.