Ohio

On Election Day, the polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET.

If there are voters waiting in line to cast their ballots at 7:30 p.m., the polls must remain open until everyone in line has voted.

Early Voting takes place at county election offices. Find times Early Voting Times and places Early Voting Places

All polling locations will be listed at this link: Polling Location Search – Ohio Secretary of State. Polling Location Lookup

Registration Deadlines

For registration deadlines, see How to Register below.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

You are eligible to vote in Ohio if you:

Are a U.S. citizen
at 17 years of age provided you will be 18 by the next general election.
Have been a state resident for at least 30 days prior to the election

You are NOT eligible to vote in Ohio if:

You have been permanently disenfranchised for violating the election laws
You are incarcerated (in prison or jail) for a felony conviction under the laws of this state, another state, or the United States
You were disqualified from voting due to a court order

Restorative Requirements

If you have completed a felony prison sentence, even if you are still on parole or probation, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote.

You are able to pre-register:

if you will be 18 by Election Day

If you will be 18 on or before the general election, you may vote in the primary election to nominate candidates, but you cannot vote on issues or party central committees until you are 18

How to register

To register online, click here: Voter Registration. Online registration requires an Ohio drivers license or Ohio ID.

To register by mail, fill out the following form: Voter Registration and Information Update Form

In-person registration is also available at many government offices, as explained here: Register to Vote and Update Your Registration

Registration deadline: October 7, 2024 for November 5 General Election

Registration Age: A voter may register to vote if they are 17 years old, but will be 18 by November 5, 2024.

Voter must be a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election.

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

By Mail

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

In-Person
By Mail

Request an absentee ballot by printing and mailing the form found at the following links to the voter’s county board of elections. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is seven (7) days before the election in which the voter wants to vote.This means it must be received by the voter’s local county board of elections no later than the close of business on October 29, 2024, for the November 5, 2024 General Election:

Earlier is better to have time for the voter to receive and return their ballot in person on election day (Nov. 5) or if by mail, postmarked the day before election day (Nov. 4), and received by the election board by Nov. 9.

Any Ohio voter with a qualifying disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act can request an absentee ballot to complete through the accessible absentee voting system. Voters with a qualifying disability should use Form 11-G, available at VoteOhio.gov or a board of elections’ website to request a ballot by assistive technology. For more information contact the ADA coordinator at 614.387.6039 or at https://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/voters/voters-with-disabilities/contact-us-ada-coordinator/ or the Secretary of State’s office at 877.767.6446.

If a voter needs assistance the day of, they should call the number associated with their county board of elections. Someone is assigned to help voters at each early voting site. Visit this website to find each number: County Boards of Elections Directory. Voters may also bring an assistant with them.

If a voter has a disability and is physically unable to enter their early voting location, they have the option to vote curbside where two poll workers for opposite major political parties bring out a ballot and the voter can vote in their vehicle or vote at the door of the early voting location or polling location. If a voter fits this description and would like to vote curbside while early voting, arrangements must be made prior to arrival by calling the number associated with their county here: County Boards of Elections Directory.

If voting on election day, a voter may send another person into the polling location to inform poll workers of their desire to vote curbside.

Absentee ballots can be returned by:

Mailing the ballot to the county board of elections (County Directory). If the voter is returning their absentee ballot by mail, the ballot must be postmarked by no later than the day before Election Day (November 4, 2024). To be counted, the ballot must be received by the voter’s county board of elections no later than four (4) days after Election Day (Saturday, November 9, 2024) for the 2024 General Election. Use a method that shows a postmark date: such as a label purchased at PO. If using stamps, request a postmark at a USPS customer service window (do NOT use a postage meter or an online service).
Bring the ballot in person to the county board of elections by 7:30 pm on Election Day (Tuesday, November 5, 2024). The one drop box located at each county board of elections is the only drop box in each county. Only the voter or their near relative may return the ballot. (Click here to find the address of your Board of Elections).

If the voter is a member of the Uniformed Services or a voter outside of the United States, ballots must be received by the fourth (4^th) day after the election (November 9, 2024).
Voters must include one of the following when returning an absentee ballot application:
- Ohio driver’s license number (begins with two letters followed by six numbers);
- Last four digits of Social Security number; or
- A copy of a different form of current photo identification (a driver’s license, state ID card, or interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV; a US passport or passport card; or a US military ID card, Ohio National Guard ID card, or US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card). The copy of the photo ID must include images of the front and back, except for a passport which must include the passport’s identification page.

Check the status of your mail ballot: Track your ballot

Vote early at your county’s board of elections. Locations can be found here: County Boards of Elections Directory

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Ohio you should provide one of the following:

Your Ohio Driver’s License Number
Your Ohio ID Number
Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number

Voting In-Person

In Ohio, you need to show a current, valid ID to vote. Your ID must include your name (which must substantially conform to your name as it appears in the poll list), photo, address, and expiration date that has not passed. You may use ID from this list:

Valid Ohio Driver’s License
Ohio ID Card
ID Issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
Valid US Passport
Valid Military ID
Any Valid ID Issued by US Department of Veterans Affairs

If you are 17 or older, you are eligible to get a free state ID to use for voting. County issued veteran IDs and student IDs will no longer be accepted.

Attention Ohio Voters!
Ohio has a stricter voter ID law as of April 4, 2023.

Voter Registration
To register to vote online, you must provide your Ohio driver’s license or state identification card number and the last four digits of your social security number. You can register on paper forms using just your social security number.

Registered voters in Ohio must confirm their identity when voting in person with one of the acceptable forms of photo ID.

Voting In-Person
In Ohio, you need to show a current, valid photo ID to vote. Your ID must include your name (which must substantially conform to your name as it appears in the poll list), photo, and expiration date that has not passed. You may use ID from this list:

Valid Ohio Driver’s License
Ohio ID Card
ID Issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
Valid US Passport
Valid Military ID
Any Valid ID Issued by US Department of Veterans Affairs
List of all acceptable forms of ID: here

If you are 17 or older, you are eligible to get a free state ID to use for voting. County-issued veteran IDs and student IDs will no longer be accepted.

Note: You can no longer substitute a valid photo ID with a utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document containing your name and address. Individual exceptions to the Voter ID rules may be made for religious reasons.

If the voter arrives at the polls without an acceptable photo ID, the voter is entitled to vote on a provisional ballot
- However, in order for that ballot to be counted, the voter must return to the board of elections with an acceptable ID within four days following Election Day. The voter should be given information so that they can follow up on their status and confirm whether their vote was counted. If they are not given any information, they should ask for information to follow up.
- Voters who must vote by provisional ballot for a reason other than lack of acceptable ID, may provide photo ID and include on the provisional ballot affirmation the type of ID and the license, state identification card, or interim ID document numbers.

When voting by mail, the voter must include in both the application for the ballot and the ballot itself either:
- An Ohio driver’s license number or state ID number (begins with two letters followed by six numbers); or
- Last four digits of Social Security number; or
- A copy of an acceptable photo identification.
- A COPY of your ID means images of both the front and back.
- A COPY of a passport means an image of the passport’s ID page that includes your name, photo, and other identifying information and the passport’s expiration date.
All IDs must be unexpired, current, and valid. However, they can reflect a different address IF the voter’s current address is in the pollbook.

How to get a free state ID: Voters can receive a free state ID at their local BMV. They will need to provide their Social Security number and Birth Certificate. Securing an Ohio ID
Get in touch with VoteRiders if you have questions or need free help securing your ID.

A voter may be required to cast a provisional ballot for the following reasons, among others:

The voter changed their name or moved to a different precinct without updating their voter registration by the deadline (30 days prior to the election).
- As part of the provisional ballot process, the voter will be required to complete a written affirmation in front of an election official at the polling place. The affirmation form is printed on the provisional ballot envelope.

Voters who move to a different voting precinct or county and have not updated their voter registration may go to the local board of elections for the new residence, sign an affirmation on the provisional ballot envelope that will serve as a notice of change of residence, vote a provisional ballot, and sign an attestation that they moved and will not vote in another location.

Voters who move within the same precinct should vote a regular ballot after completing a change of residence form and showing valid ID.

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form (“FPCA”). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

If the voter is serving in the uniformed services (U.S. Armed Services, merchant marines, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States, the National Guard and organized militia) and meets the requirements for voting at their Ohio voting residence, they may vote a uniformed services absentee ballot. The voter’s spouse and dependents may vote a uniformed services absentee ballot if they left their Ohio voting residence to be with or near the voter.

The voting residence of a service member is the place in Ohio where the service member resided for at least 30 days immediately before beginning their service.

To request an absentee ballot as an eligible voter serving in the uniformed services (or the voter’s eligible spouse or dependents), the voter should visit: https://www.fvap.gov/Ohio.

A U.S. citizen living outside the U.S. is eligible to vote in the Ohio precinct where the voter resided immediately before leaving the U.S. if the voter (1) was, or could have been, registered to vote in Ohio while residing there, or (2) is currently eligible under Ohio law to vote in Ohio.

A U.S. citizen who was born outside the U.S. is deemed to have a voting residence in Ohio at the place in the Ohio precinct where the person’s parent or guardian continuously resided for at least 30 days immediately before leaving the United States. Overseas voters may request information at the following: https://www.ohiosos.gov/secretary-office/office-initiatives/VoterPassport/.

Overseas voters can request an absentee ballot here: https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/absentee-voting/.

A person with a misdemeanor conviction may vote.

A person with a felony conviction may register and vote while on probation or parole, or after completing their jail or prison sentence.

If a person is awaiting trial in jail for a misdemeanor or felony or is imprisoned for a misdemeanor, they can vote by an absentee ballot if they are otherwise eligible to vote (i.e., they are registered).

If a person is currently incarcerated on a felony conviction, their voter registration is canceled, and in order to vote, they must re-register to vote when eligible to do so. They may register to vote again once they complete their jail or prison sentence, or once they go on probation, parole, or community control.

Upcoming Elections

Voting in Ohio