T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK The Belmont County Board of Elections and other offices statewide will be receiving primary election ballots through April 28. The state has rescheduled the primary election and restricted it to voting by mail due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Ohio voters have the chance to cast their ballots in the primary election through most of next month.

State legislators moved the election date to April 28 after the March 17 primary was canceled due to declaration of a public health emergency. The General Assembly and Gov. Mike DeWine have since completed and approved legislation to transition the election entirely to distance voting.

According to a release from the Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office, in-person voting will only be available to individuals with disabilities or those who do not have a home mailing address.

Local boards of elections will not be using their pool of poll workers to conduct this primary election, but they are making adjustments to complete the process in a new way.

“It’s an all-mail election for anyone who didn’t already cast a ballot, an absentee ballot,” Belmont County Board of Elections Director Kelly McCabe said, noting that voters can call their board of elections office and ask that the office mail them an application.

Voters also can visit the website voteohio.gov and print a form that can be filled out and mailed to the board office to request a ballot.

“That will help us get the request faster so that we can mail the ballot out faster,” McCabe said.

She said all ballots must be returned to a voter’s county board of elections office by 7:30 p.m. April 28.

McCabe cited the health and safety of voters, election staff and all involved as the reason for the change to the mail-in format. She hopes voters take the new measures to heart and participate.

“Due to the coronavirus, I would think they would be happy with this for the time being, for this election,” she said. “It’s for their safety as well as our safety. … We’ll probably wear rubber gloves when we open the mail.”

In addition, if voters visit boe.ohio.gov/belmont/ they are able to look themselves up, see their district and the available parties and issues on their ballot.

The Belmont County Board of Elections office can be reached at P.O. Box 994, St. Clairsville, OH 43950. Call 740-526-0188 for more information.

In Harrison County, Elections Director Ruby Foutz said applications can be picked up and dropped off or received by mail.

“People are still allowed to request applications, and we have it set up so that they can pick up the application, complete it, and drop it in a box out by our door, and then we can receive it. They can also go on our web page,” she said.

She said she expects voters to adjust to the mail-in procedures in lieu of an in-person primary election.

“They’re usually voting at their precincts,” Foutz said, adding she is confident her office will conduct a successful election. “We have to be prepared for everything. Anything and everything.

“We’ve already received more than usual by mail, and we were just waiting to hear from the state and they tell us we can process, that’s what we’re doing. We’re with it.”

The Harrison County board’s address is 538 N. Main St., Cadiz, OH 43907. Call 740-942-8866 for more information or visit boe.ohio.gov/harrison/.

The Monroe County Board of Elections, meanwhile, has been receiving a lot of calls from the public.

“Right now, we’re just maintaining here at the office, answering phone calls from voters. … We’ve seen an influx in the phone calls to our office in the last week,” Monroe County Board of Elections Director Mollie Landefeld said.

“What’s requested of the voters is that they will be sent a postcard from the secretary of state’s office, providing them information on how they can contact their local boards of election. The postcard will also update them of the dates that are required of them if they request their absentee ballot application,” she said.

She added that applications can be obtained by calling her office or visiting the Monroe County Board of Elections website or the secretary of state’s website.

Landefeld said she is awaiting news from the state should further directives be ordered.

“It’s going to be a change statewide, because we’re not having an in-person primary,” she said. “Regardless, we’re going to continue the election as stipulated.”

The Monroe County board address is 117 N. Main St., Woodsfield, OH 43793. For more information, call 740-472-0929 or visit .boe.ohio.gov/monroe/.