Update: Voters Won't Get Absentee Applications By Mail

Cuyahoga County officials, who last week said they would continue to mail out applications for absentee ballots to all voters, now say they will not following a compromise with the state.

Voters in Westlake and other communities will still be able to vote absentee this November, but they will have to seek out an application— it won't come in the mail.

In the Aug. 2 special election, 8,643 of the 10,991 ballots cast were absentee— about 79 percent— according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

Cuyahoga County Council voted last week to override opposition from Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted and support County Executive Ed FitzGerald's decision to continue mailing the applications.

But FitzGerald and Husted reached a compromise late last week in which Cuyahoga County will not mail out applications for the November general election. In return, Husted promised to mail out applications to voters in all 88 counties for the 2012 presidential election.

The battle began when Husted said boards of elections can no longer mass-mail absentee applications to all voters in the county. 

FitzGerald said fine — another county department would do the mailings and pick up the tab for postage.

After controversy over elections in 2004 and 2006, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections started to mail absentee ballot request forms to all registered voters, hoping to streamline the process and make voting easier.

To download the official application for an absentee ballot, visit the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections website, or click on the form in the gallery. Forms are also available at and .

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