In the first media announcement of the New Year, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted announced that the state’s new online voter registration system went live at midnight on Dec. 31, 2016.
“Raise a glass of champagne, offer a toast, get online and register to vote,” Secretary Husted said.
Ohioans wishing to register to vote or update their registration can visit MyOhioVote.com/VoterRegistration to get started.
At Secretary Husted’s request, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 63, which authorizes the use of online voter registration in Ohio. The bill allowed the system to be made available to Ohioans as early as January 1, 2017.
Secretary Husted has long been an advocate for online voter registration in Ohio, which has proven in other states to save between 50 cents and $2.34 per registration, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Between 2011 and 2016, the state could have saved between $3.7 million and $17.3 million.
“Online voter registration is more convenient, more secure, more accurate and less costly than the paper voter registration alone and I am proud that we will finally be able to provide this service to Ohio voters,” Secretary Husted said.
Online voter registration is more secure than paper registration alone as the online system will immediately check a voter’s eligibility prior to accepting
the registration. With an automated system, the risk of human error is also significantly reduced.
Secretary Husted’s proposal earned the support of individuals and groups throughout the state, including the Ohio Association of Election Officials, the County Commissioners’ A ssociation of Ohio, the 32nd Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General Gordon Sullivan (U.S. Army, Retired), the Association of the United States Army, the Federal Voting Assistance Program, and many others.
Secretary Husted also obtained the support of a number of retired military officials who expressed the significant benefit online voter registration could provide to service members.