ELECTION GUIDE All elections are important. This election is no different. On or before November 3, you will be asked to select who will become the President (and Vice President), who will serve as your U.S. House of Representatives member for the next 2 years, two individuals who will serve on our Ohio Supreme Court for the next 6 years, who will serve as your Ohio Senate member (in 16 of the seats open this election) for the next 4 years, all 99 members of the Ohio House of Representatives, and a host of other important local issues throughout the state. The “2020 Election Guide” was compiled to help provide you with guidance on which candidates have been endorsed by major trade associations and business groups, or have been favorably recognized by an organization for the November 3 general election. Some candidates can claim to be pro-business, but only those individuals with a good track record or who have been thoroughly screened have earned an endorsement by state and national associations that represent the business community. We have added two labor organizations for the 2020 election to provide additional insight on candidate endorsements from across the political spectrum. The organizations and offices used to compile this information include: United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC), Ohio Chamber of Commerce (OCC), National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFB), Ohio Society of CPAs (CPA), Ohio AFL-CIO (AFL), Associated Construction Trades Council (ACT), Ohio Secretary of State (SOS), Ohio Republican Party (ORP), Ohio Democratic Party (ODP), Twitter and Ballotpedia. All of the associations and organizations mentioned above choose to endorse or not to endorse for various reasons. You will note below that there are candidates whom all associations have endorsed, some whom most have endorsed, and others whom these associations simply agree to disagree. Please contact the respective association if you would like to know more about how to become a member and their endorsement process. Monday, October 5: Voter Registration or Address Update. You must register or update your voter registration no later than 30 days prior to an election. Click here to register or update your address. Tuesday, October 6: Absentee and In-Person Early Voting Begins (through Monday, November 2). Don’t know where to go to vote in person? Contact your local county board of elections. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by November 2. Saturday, October 31: Applications for absentee ballots to be mailed for the November 3 general election must be received by boards of elections by noon (3 days prior to the general election). Absentee ballots returned by U.S. mail must be postmarked no later than November 2 and received by boards of elections by November 13 (10 days after the general election) to be counted. Tuesday, November 3: Election Day! Deadline to drop-off your ballot in person. Polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Absentee ballots, either returned in person or via a method other than U.S. mail, must be received by the boards of election by close of polls. 2 Election Day – Voting In-Person The polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Due to COVID-19, all in-person polling locations will likely be enforcing the wearing of masks and social distancing. You will need to take one of the following forms of identification with you in order to vote. + Photo ID, not expired with your current name and address (like your driver’s license) + Military ID + Utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that contains your name and address Voting By Mail If you were previously registered to vote in Ohio you may have already received your vote by mail application. If so, fill it out and return it as soon as possible to receive your ballot by mail starting October 6. If you did not receive it or cannot find it, follow the following steps to request your ballot to vote by mail. + Click here to request an application or download it + Complete the application and mail it to your board of elections + Once you receive your ballot, mark all your selections and return it in the ID envelope as instructed. All ballots must be postmarked by Monday, November 2 or received at your local board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. + Additional information can be found by visiting the Ohio Secretary of State website at VoteOhio.gov Are Employers Obligated to Give Employees Time Off to Vote? Since 1953, Ohio law has stated, “no employer, his officer or agent, shall discharge or threaten to discharge an elector for taking a reasonable amount of time to vote on Election Day.” The fine for violating this law ranges from $50 to $500. For a list of other state employee voting laws click here. Therefore, employers should encourage, not discourage, employees from voting. But, it’s not just about voting. It’s about making sure electors are educated voters and take the time to vote on every candidate and issue on the ballot. Voter turnout in Ohio is highest during presidential election years. Historically, 70-75% of registered voters turn out to vote for president and vice president. But, the “drop-off” rate for other candidates and issues down the ballot can be significant, affecting state and local races, as well as ballot initiatives and issues. Therefore, while the 2020 Election Guide is not exhaustive resource, it can serve as a reminder to vote for your employees or members and provide them with the tools they need to be an educated voter on all the candidates and issues for the November 2020 ballot. Please note that an asterisk (*) notes an incumbent candidate. 3 232 Democrats currently hold seats U.S. House of can’t lose more than 14 Representatives 198 Republicans currently hold seats 435 Total need to pick up 20 218 Needed for Majority 4 Vacancies, 1 Libertarian 53 Republicans currently hold seats U.S. Senate can’t lose more than 2 45 Democrats currently hold seats 100 Total 51 Needed for need to pick up 4 Majority* 2 Independents Take note: 60 votes needed to invoke cloture, ending debate on legislation for final vote. Ohio House of 61 Republicans currently hold seats Balance of Power Representatives can’t lose more than 11 Republicans + Democrats are trying to pick up as many seats as possible to tip the 99 Total balance of power at the national and state 50 Needed for 38 Democrats currently hold seats level. Here is a quick breakdown of how many Majority need to pick up 12 seats each party needs to pick up in order to take control of their respective chamber. * In the US Senate, the Vice President breaks tie votes 24 Republicans currently hold seats Ohio Senate can’t lose more than 7 33 Total 17 Needed for 9 Democrats currently hold seats Majority need to pick up 8 4 Federal Government Candidates U.S. President/Vice President U.S. House of Representatives U.S. President/Vice President USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT U.S. House - District 7 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT Joe Biden/Kamala Harris (D) . Quentin Potter (D) . Donald J. Trump/Mike Pence (R)* . Brandon Lape (L) Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) Bob Gibbs (R)* . Howie Hawkins/Angela Walker (I) U.S. House - District 8 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT Vanessa Enoch (D) . U.S. House of Representatives Warren Davidson (R)* . U.S. House - District 1 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT U.S. House - District 9 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT . Kate Schroder (D) Marcy Kaptur (D)* . Kevin Kahn (L) Rob Weber (R) Steve Chabot (R)* . U.S. House - District 10 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT U.S. House - District 2 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT Desiree Tims (D) . Jamie Castle (D) . Mike Turner (R)* . Brad Wenstrup (R)* . U.S. House - District 11 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT U.S. House - District 3 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT Marcia Fudge (D)* . Joyce Beatty (D)* . Laverne Gore (R) Mark Richardson (R) U.S. House - District 12 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT U.S. House - District 4 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT Alaina Shearer (D) . Shannon Freshour (D) . John Stewart (L) Steve Perkins (L) Troy Balderson (R)* . Jim Jordan (R)* . U.S. House - District 13 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT U.S. House - District 5 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT Tim Ryan (D)* . Nick Rubando (D) Michael Fricke (L) Robert Latta (R)* . Christina Hagan (R) U.S. House - District 6 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT U.S. House - District 14 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT Shawna Roberts (D) . Hillary O’Connor Mueri (D) Bill Johnson (R)* . David Joyce (R)* . 5 2020 Incumbents Gonzalez (R) Balderson (R) 6 Federal Government Candidates U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House - District 15 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT U.S. House - District 16 USCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT Joel Newby III (D) Aaron Godfrey (D) . Steven Stivers (R)* . Anthony Gonzalez (R)* . State Government Candidates Ohio Supreme Court Ohio Court of Appeals Ohio Supreme Court Justice OCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT District 7 District 10 John O’Donnell (D) . Cheryl Waite Michael Mentel (D) Sharon Kennedy (R) . Colleen O’Donnell (R) District 8 Ohio Supreme Court Justice OCC NFIB OFB CPA ABC AFL ACT Emanuella Groves (D) District 10 Jennifer Brunner (D) .