Voters in Kent wards 1 and 6 are invited to a “drop in and meet the candidates” event, set for 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 6 at the Kent Free Library, 312 W. Main St.
The meeting is informal, and voters may drop in at any time during the event.
Wards 1 and 6 are the only contested races in Kent. In Ward 1, Melissa Celko and Benjamin Tipton are vying for council seats. In Ward 6, the candidates are Jeff Clapper and incumbent Tracy Wallach.
The event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Kent. LWV will also have absentee (i.e. early) voting applications on hand. These applications must be submitted to the Portage County Board of Elections by April 25.
Attendees may also ask questions about Ohio election changes that affect the upcoming election. Changes include new voter identification rules for in-person voting, voter registration, and absentee and early voting.
Early voting at the Board of Elections begins April 4 and includes the Saturday and Sunday before Election Day. There will be no voting at the Board of Elections office on May 1, the day prior to Election Day.
Ballots must be postmarked by May 1 and must be received by the Board of Elections by May 6. The deadline for mail ballots to be personally delivered to the Board of Elections is 7:30 p.m. May 2.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.