Ohio election officials, small businesses team-up for voter registration campaign

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Ohio election officials and small businesses are teaming up for a voter registration campaign.

The campaign is called the 2022 Raise a Glass to Democracy, announced by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. The campaign is expanding to include Ohio distilleries and wineries, as well as more craft breweries. The 2020 campaign enlisted the support of more than 50 breweries and today, that number has grown to 100.

According to LaRose’s office, the campaign will use special branding with a website that will allow for online voter registration. Partnering businesses will make special beers or include common labeling on their products, display posters in their locations and social media posts to get the word out about the voter registration deadline of October 11.

LaRose’s office says more than 50 Ohio craft breweries signed up to create a beer using a universal label designed to encourage civic engagement and boost voter registration. The labels promote the VoteOhio.gov website without sacrificing the business branding.

The campaign will not only expand outreach on the importance of voter registration and updating current registration information, but it will also help raise awareness of Ohio’s growing adult beverage industry.

Businesses who want to find out more about the campaign or sign up can do so at the Secretary’s Every Vote Counts website.

“It’s a time-honored tradition for friends to talk politics over their favorite drink - but if you’re not registered to vote, talk is all you can do,” said LaRose. “This was the basic idea behind our innovative voter registration campaign which empowers voters to turn that talk into action by getting engaged and making their voices heard.”

According to LaRose’s office, Secretary LaRose introduced legislation in 2015 that allowed eligible Ohioans to register to vote online. Since the bill became a law in 2016, hundreds of thousands of Ohioans have registered to vote or updated their registration online.

To register online, click here. Ohioans need to provide their Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card number, name, date of birth, address or the last four digits of their Social Security number.

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