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    Dos and Don’ts When Voting in Ohio and Kentucky

    Mars Posted on

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    Planning to take a selfie during the elections in November? Maybe you want to hand out bottled water to those waiting in line?

    You might want to think twice. You could be breaking the law, depending on where you live.

    Here’s what you can and can’t do in elections in Ohio and Kentucky.

    Are voting selfies legal in Ohio and Kentucky? It depends

    Selfies are of course omnipresent on social media. And selfies of people posing with their voting stickers or outside early voting locations are starting to appear.

    But voters who post selfies with their marked ballots are at risk, the Cincinnati Enquirer previously reported. In OhioIt is illegal to take a photo of your completed ballot. Lawmakers banned photos of completed ballots in 1997, fearing that employers or others would intimidate voters by forcing them to show how they voted. It is a felony of the fifth degree punishable by a fine of $2,500 and up to one year in prison.

    In Kentuckytake as many voting selfies as you want. In 2016, Kentucky’s attorney general issued an opinion that no state law prohibits selfies in elections and there was no reason to believe they threaten ballot secrecy, the Louisville Courier-Journal.

    Can I wear a campaign T-shirt or hat to vote?

    No. You are not allowed to campaign or try to influence another person’s vote within 100 feet of a voting location. So, you cannot wear hats, T-shirts, buttons or any other paraphernalia supporting a candidate when voting. Election officials may ask you to cover your campaign shirt with a jacket or turn it inside out.

    What ID do I need to bring to vote?

    Ohio has changed its voter ID law, now requiring a photo ID to vote, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Acceptable forms of identification under the new law include:

    • Ohio driver’s license (it don’t do must provide your current address where you are registered to vote. He don’t do must be a REAL ID.)
    • Ohio State ID Card
    • US passport or passport card
    • Military identification issued by the Ohio National Guard or the U.S. government
    • US Veterans ID Card
    • Provisional identification form issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV)

    The Bluegrass State is similar to Ohio. The Kentucky State Board of Elections requires proof via a state-issued name and photo ID, military or merchant marine ID, or school ID.

    I think I made the wrong choice. Can I change my vote in Ohio?

    A few states allow voters to spoil their ballots, but Ohio is not one of them. According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, voting by mail and trying to change it on Election Day will only get you flagged for trying to vote twice.

    Likewise, the Kentucky State Board of Elections makes it clear that it is illegal to vote or attempt to vote twice in the same election.

    Polling places are a “neutral zone” against any influence

    Under Ohio election rules, two small American flags are planted 100 feet from the entrance to a polling place, the Columbus Dispatch reported. They are often found along the path leading to the entrance.

    These flags mark the border of a “neutral zone”, within which no one can campaign or attempt to influence a vote. If the line to vote extends beyond these flags, the neutral zone is extended 10 feet beyond the last person in line.

    In Kentucky, influencing or attempting to influence a voter’s voting decision through the use of force, threat, intimidation, bribery, reward, or offer of reward is illegal.

    Who can enter a polling place?

    According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s official elections manual, the only people allowed to enter a polling place are:

    • Election officials
    • Observers
    • Police officers
    • People reviewing the list of registered voters at 11 a.m. or 4 p.m.
    • Members of the media
    • Voters
    • Children accompanying voters
    • Anyone helping another person who votes

    Can you give food or water to Ohio voters waiting in line?

    According to the Secretary of State’s office, you cannot bribe voters with food, drinks, discounts or money in the neutral zone of a polling place.

    “Food, discounts and other similar incentives are ‘things of value’ for purposes of election corruption laws,” the official elections manual states.

    What is allowed outside of Ohio polling places?

    Outside of the 100-foot neutral zone perimeter, much more is permitted, according to Dispatch, including:

    • Exit voting is allowed within 100 feet of the entrance to the polling location, but pollsters cannot enter the polling location or interfere with voters.
    • Groups may ask you to sign their petition
    • People can distribute food
    • People can campaign or post campaign materials

    Mars
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