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Monday Is Absentee Ballot Deadline With Races Still At Stake

Applications for voter ballots are seen at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Tuesday, July 14, 2020, in Cleveland.
Tony Dejak
/
Associated Press

Monday is the last day that absentee ballots can arrive to Ohio county boards of elections and still be counted.
The margin of the Ohio Senate District 16 racebetween the Republican incumbent, state Sen. Stephanie Kunze, and Democratic challenger Crystal Lett is only 41 votes. The district represents western Franklin County including Dublin, Hilliard, Grove City and a portion of Columbus. 

Likewise, a proposed tax increasefor the Gahanna-Jefferson school district is too close to call. The measure, which provides funding for a new high school and additions to three schools, is currently winning by two votes.

That means that absentee ballots could be the decisive votes.

"They could change outcomes for these particular races," says Aaron Sellers with the Franklin County Board of Elections. "Everything else is outside the margins."

The ballots had to be postmarked by November 2, the day before Election Day, to be valid. The board expects to certify election results this week.

Sellers expects any potential recounts to start next week.

Clare Roth was former All Things Considered Host for 89.7 NPR News. She joined WOSU in February of 2017. After attending the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, she returned to her native Iowa as a producer for Iowa Public Radio.