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If you live in the state of Ohio and have been following the news at all during the past several months, you realize that there will be a special election in a little more than a month.
The Aug. 8 ballot will contain one item: Ohio Issue 1.
It's a fairly complex issue that, if approved, will make a big difference in how residents are able to seek initiatives to amend the state Constitution.
Right now, a proposed constitutional amendment can get onto the ballot by getting valid signatures from a number that is at least 10 percent of the people who voted for governor in the previous gubernatorial election and 5 percent of the people who voted in 44 counties. Petitioners have a 10-day period to file additional signatures if they filed an insufficient number of valid signatures.
And, when voters go to the polls, an issue passes with just one vote more than 50 percent of the votes cast.
Issue 1 would bring a lot of changes. First, the petitions would need to be signed by 5 percent of the voters in each county and 10 percent of the voters in the previous gubernatorial election. It would remove the 10-day period to gather additional signatures and would require 60 percent of the vote on election day to pass.
Amending the state's constitution should not be an easy process. What voters are being asked to decide is if they are happy with the current process or if they want to make it more challenging.
There's no shortage of opinions on both sides. That debate, which you have seen playing out weekly in letters to the editor we have published, figures to make the special election an interesting one.
And, it marks the opening of what looks to be an intense year leading up to Nov. 5, 2024, when, among some local issues, voters will have the chance to vote on who will represent them in the U.S. House of Representatives, whether or not Sherrod Brown will be able to keep his seat in the U.S. Senate and who will be president.
Those elections in themselves figure to feature interesting battles in next year's primary elections. Traditionally, there are greater numbers of voters in presidential elections than there are in off-year elections. Based on our country's political climate, there's no reason to expect that won't be the case next year.
Interest is there -- in Issue 1 in the special election and in next year's vote. But you can't make your voice heard at the ballot box unless you are registered to vote, and an important deadline for that is right around the corner.
In fact, it's Monday if you plan to vote Aug. 8. If you aren't already registered, you have until 9 p.m. Monday to complete the process. In-person absentee voting starts Tuesday, and you can vote at the board of elections from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays through July 28. You can vote from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on July 31 and from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 1; from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 2-4; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 5; and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 6, according to the Jefferson County Board of Elections. The last day to request a mail-in absentee ballot is Aug. 1.
If you are considering running for a local office, there's still time for you to get onto the Nov. 7 ballot. According to the board of elections, the mayor's seat in each of the county's villages will be open as will be two seats on each village council in the county. The clerk-treasurer's spot will be on the ballot in Adena, Amsterdam, Bloomingdale, Stratton and Tiltonsville and two seats on the public affairs board will be open in Adena, Stratton and Yorkville.
At the township level, there will be one trustee and the fiscal officer's spot open in all townships. In Island Creek and Warren townships, there will be open an unexpired term that runs through Dec. 31, 2025.
Plus, the board of election reports, there will be two board members up for election in each of the county's school districts and at the Jefferson County Educational Service Center, with the exception of Indian Creek, where three seats will be up for election. The educational service center also will be seeking to fill an unexpired term that runs through Dec. 31, 2025.
You have until 4 p.m. Aug. 9 to file for any of those spots. If you want to file as a write-in candidate, you have until 4 p.m. Aug. 28.
Jefferson County's two cities -- Steubenville and Toronto -- have partisan elections, and the deadline to file for open seats there has passed.
Should you have chosen not to register to vote in the special election and want to vote in November, you will have until 9 p.m. Oct. 10 to do so.
Many people are not afraid to share their opinions about the way their communities are run. If you think holding an elected office would be too much for you, you can make your thoughts known at the ballot box. There's still time to participate in August by voting -- all you have to do is make sure you are registered.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.)