Summit County Developmental Disabilities Board, or Summit DD, will put Issue 3 to voters asking to approve a six-year renewal of its 4.5 mil operating levy on November 7 general election ballot.

What is Issue 3?

Issue 3 is not a new tax, and will fund services from 2019-2024.  If it passes, there will be a 0% tax increase in Summit County. Residents currently pay $11.50 per month, per $100,000 home valuation. This will NOT change if the levy passes in November, and Summit DD will continue to receive the funds it needs to empower people of all abilities. This levy represents approximately 80 percent of Summit DD’s funding.

If the levy passes, Summit DD will continue to fund day programming, transportation, and residential support to more than 2,600 adults.   Summit DD pledges more than $25 million in Medicaid match for these services using local tax dollars.  That Medicaid match draws down an additional $60 million in Federal Medicaid money that is invested into the local economy through more than 500 disability service providers.

If the levy fails, access to those services and federal Medicaid dollars would be in jeopardy.  In addition, early intervention services provided by Summit DD to more than 1,000 kids and families age 0 -6 would be discontinued.  Funding for programs like Special Olympics would be discontinued.  Support to schools and teens to assist transition to more independent, community-based services when they are adults would no longer be available.

Registering to vote

The last day to register to vote in the November 7 election is on October 10.

Check on the status of your voter registration here!

Register to vote or change your address here!

You can register to vote in-person at the following locations:

• At any county board of elections or the Secretary of State’s office.
• At public libraries.
• At the offices of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
• At any public high school or vocational school.
• Offices of designated agencies including:
  • The Department of Job and Family Services;
  • The Department of Health (including the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program);
  • The Department of Mental Health;
  • Summit DD (call 330-634-8676);
  • The Rehabilitation Services Commission; or
  • Any state-assisted college or university that provides assistance to disabled students.

You can also register to vote by mail. Download the form at the Summit County Board of Elections. You may also request a registration form from a board of elections by mail, telephone, in person or by having another person obtain it for you. After completing the form, return it to the Summit County Board of Elections, 470 Grant Street Akron, OH 44311.

There are several resources for voters with disabilities.

Absentee & Early Voting

You can skip the lines on election day two ways: absentee voting by mail and early in-person voting. Both options begin October 9th and end November 6th. If you need assistance with voting, this is a great option.

Absentee Voting by Mail

Absentee voting has many benefits. You can vote early, it is convenient, it reduces the chance of lines at the polls on Election Day, and absentee ballots are the first votes counted on Election Night.

1. Request an absentee ballot. Download an absentee ballot application and mail it to: Summit County Board of Elections 470 Grant Street Akron, Ohio 44311. If you can not download the form you can send a written request to the Board of Elections that includes required information. The last day to request an absentee ballot is November 4th.
2. Complete your ballot at your leisure.
3. Return your ballot one of two ways. You can mail it to Summit County Board of Elections, 470 Grant Street Akron, Ohio 44311. Make sure it has enough postage. USPS recommends purchasing a postage label at the window. Your ballot must be postmarked by the day before the election to count. You can also return it in-person to Summit County Board of Elections by 7:30 pm on November 7th.
4. You can track your absentee ballot here.

Do not take your absentee ballot to your polling location.

Early In-Person Voting

If you are a registered voter, you can skip the lines at vote at the Summit County Board of Elections, 470 Grant Street Akron, Ohio 44311 between October 9th through 2 pm on November 6th.

Election Day

Find your polling location. Polls are open between 6:30 am and 7:30 pm.