April 7 is the last day to register to vote in the upcoming May 6 primary election.
There are many opportunities to make your vote count, whether it be early in-person, absentee by mail, or on Election Day, but the most important thing is to make a plan for casting your ballot.
Monday on the "Sound of Ideas," local experts from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and the Ohio League of Women Voters will share what you need to know to get ready for the polls.
In addition to local races and ballot initiatives, voters across Ohio will decide on State Issue 2. If passed, it would go into effect immediately and authorize the use of state bonds to fund public infrastructure projects.
Voter resources from Ohio Secretary of State
Ohioans who need to register to vote or update their registration must do so today.
Ohio county boards of elections directory
Later in the hour, we'll talk with some young writers using their voices to stand against hate and discrimination.
This year, more than 4,000 students participated in the 17th annual Stop the Hate contest hosted by the Maltz Museum.
Since the program launched, Maltz has provided nearly $2 million in academic scholarships and educational grants to Northeast Ohio middle and high school students, teachers and schools.
Stop the Hate, the museum's signature program, strives to bring awareness to hate-related issues like discrimination and bullying while encouraging participants to write creative, thought-provoking essays and poems.
This year's grand prize winner was Nandita Srikumar, a junior at Solon High School. She wrote about witnessing the struggles of a dementia patient and their caregivers during a volunteer session at her local medical center.
Today on the show we'll speak with some of the other winners of the contest.
To end the hour, Voice of America aired overseas since the early days of World War ll. Throughout its operation, it carried news about the U.S. and aimed to broadcast uncensored information to residents under restrictive regimes such as Nazi Germany or Soviet-era Russia.
Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order shutting down the media service as part of federal government cuts.
In the wake of Voice of America being shuttered, Ideastream Public Media's Josh Boose spoke with Steve Herman. Herman is an Ohio native and national correspondent for Voice of America, a place where he had worked for nearly 25 years.
Guests:
- Anthony Perlatti, Director, Cuyahoga County Board of Elections
- Jen Miller, Executive Director, Ohio League of Women Voters
- Cara Miller, First Place, Poetry Contest, Grade 10, Garfield Heights High School
- Jashmina Bista, First Place, Essay Contest, Grade 10, Cleveland School of Science and Medicine
- Sana Hameed, Second Runner Up, Essay Contest, Grade 11, North Royalton High School
- Steve Herman, Former Voice of America Correspondent
- Josh Boose, Associate Producer, Ideastream Public Media
