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STEUBENVILLE -- Three organizations are coming together next weekend to urge area residents to cast their votes early this election season.
Upper Ohio Valley Indivisible, the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Organization for Women and the Midwest Center for Constitutional Rights will be joining present informational gatherings in communities on both side of the Ohio River Oct. 17. They will be offering information about voting early in Ohio and West Virginia ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
“We’ve identified 15 corners in Weirton, Newell and Chester. We’ll be asking our members and the people who are on our mailing and email lists to pick a corner and show up with signs encouraging early voting,” explained Tim Reinard of Upper Ohio Valley Indivisible and a co-organizer of the event.
On the Ohio side, informational events are planned for sites in high-traffic areas in Steubenville, including the 100 block of North Fourth Street and near Harding Stadium, and in Toronto.
“We have leaflets we will be passing out that simply give the dates and times for the opportunities to vote early at the Jefferson County Board of Elections,” explained Marjie DeFede of Ohio Valley NOW. “Surprisingly, a lot of people still aren’t aware of that opportunity. The board of elections does a great job in trying to get the word out, but we’re going to try to take it one step further.
“So, for 90 minutes, we will be handing out the fliers to anyone who wants one, just so they have the information.”
The events in the Northern Panhandle and Jefferson County will begin at 11 a.m., and all of the volunteers will gather at the corner of University Boulevard and Seventh Street in Steubenville at 1 p.m. for a 90-minute honk-and-wave rally, encouraging everyone to vote early.
This will not be the first time the organizations have joined forces. They have been involved with No Kings rallies in the past. The focus this time will be different.
“Bringing people together is one of the most important things we can do,” DeFede said. “What we hear from those who participate is that these events give them a voice. They give them a chance to be heard in a way that they feel they are not being heard right now in our area. Our event on Oct. 17 is a little bit different -- it’s being described as turning people power into voter power instead of being just a protest.”
While early voting is available in both states, there are different procedures residents have to follow, Reinard explained.
In Ohio, early voting is underway, having started on Tuesday, and ballots need to be cast at the board of elections, with longer hours available the closer the election gets. In West Virginia, early voting does not begin until Oct. 21, and ballots need to be cast at the courthouse during regular business hours.
Early voting in West Virginia closes on Oct. 31. In Ohio, early voting closes on Nov. 1.
Completing the voting process early has advantages, Reinard explained.
“Well, with the early actions of the Trump administration to curtail mail-in voting, early voting has become the most secure,” he said. “Even now that the administration seems to have backed off on mail-in voting, we still prefer people vote early. This way they know their vote is in, it’s registered and it’s secure. There can be no questions about what’s going on.
“Voting early has plenty of benefits. It bypasses long Nov. 3 lines at the polls, and it helps avoid a flu, weather event or transportation issue from standing in the way of casting a vote on Election Day,” he added.
Richard Olivito of the Midwest Center for Constitutional Rights and an event co-organizer, agreed.
“Early voting is the best way to make sure your vote is locked in and counted, and that’s never been more important than during what may be the most important election of this decade,” he explained.
The events are being coordinated through Indivisible, which is responsible for the No Kings movement. Indivisible is described as a national activist organization that promotes democratic values and the U.S. Constitution.
Activities planned as part of the rallies are meant to be nonpartisan, DeFede explained.
“The three organizations that are sponsoring this are nonpartisan, and Indivisible is a nonpartisan organization,” she said. “They stress that and said this shouldn’t be used as a means to promote any specific candidate. This is not a campaign rally. Anyone who loves democracy the way we do is welcome to attend.”
To sign up for Ohio events, go to the Facebook event page: No Kings - Vote Early - Jefferson County, Ohio, or visit mobilize.us/nokings/event/1038805. For Weirton events, visit mobilize.us/nokings/event/1057365/
Those who register will be assigned to designated areas and provided with handouts containing information on how and where to vote early.