Happy February!

Happy February, Euclid Observer!  During the first 31 days of 2020, I attended the swearing in ceremonies in several House District 8 communities including Beachwood, Euclid, Richmond Heights and Woodmere Village.  Those ceremonies marked the transition from a 2019 campaign season to the launch of a new partnership in governance for 2020 and beyond.  To new and returning Mayors and Council Members, I say: treat your colleagues with respect and look for shared opportunities of cooperation that will advance positive outcomes in your cities. 

With that in mind, let me raise two subjects that are both critical and coming up fast.   1. The March 17th Primary Election and 2. The 2020 United States Census.  I will cover the Census next month, so let’s talk about voting.

First thing’s first–You must be registered to vote by February 18, 2020 to participate in the March 17th Democratic or Republican Primary Election.  If you are not registered, you cannot vote.   Whether you think you are registered or aren’t sure, you can find out on the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections website.  DO THAT NOW–while you still have time, so you can re-register before February 18th to vote on March 17th.

It is important for all who read this to proactively exercise your voting rights.   If you fail to use it – you may lose it. 

Think I’m kidding?  The Ohio Secretary of State began removing inactive voters this past fall.  33,868 Cuyahoga County voters were removed from the valid voter database and 3,312 from this District (including Euclid) lost their ability to vote.

So, during the month of February, let’s all start a conversation about voting and talk about four things:

1. If you want to be able to vote for President in November, make sure you go vote in March.
2. The deadline to register to vote in the March Primary is Feb. 18th. 
3. Ohio does NOT allow Election Day voter registration.
4. The March Primary is on March 17th (That’s right! St. Patrick’s Day!).  This is the first time the state has moved its even year partisan Primary from the “First Tuesday of the Month.”  People will miss this year unless we remind them.

So… Don’t Get Purged, Euclid!

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections phone number is 216-443-VOTE (8683).  You can register to vote online at www.MyVoteOhio.com. You can contact my office at 614-466-5441 or at Rep08@OhioHouse.Gov  with questions about voting or other topics.

State Representative Kent Smith represents Ohio’s 8th House District, which includes Beachwood, Euclid, South Euclid, Richmond Heights, East Cleveland, Woodmere Village and a little bit of the City of Cleveland.