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.

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

All polling locations are listed at this link: https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/toolkit/polling-location/.

Registration Deadlines

• The voter registration deadline for the Ohio Municipal Primary Elections is Mon Apr 3, 2023.

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
• Are a resident of Ohio
• Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
• Live in the precinct where you vote 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.

How to register 

• Ohio Municipal Primary Elections
  • Register By: Mon Apr 3, 2023

To register online, click here:  https://olvr.ohiosos.gov.

To register by mail, fill out either of the following forms:

• https://www.ohiosos.gov/globalassets/elections/forms/vr_form_04-2015.pdf
• www.eac.gov/voter_resources/register_to_vote.aspx 

In person registration is also available at many government offices

Voters 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:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Ohio Municipal Primary Elections

Ballot Request:

• Request for Postal Ballot by Tue Apr 25, 2023

Ballot Return:

• Postmarked by Mon May 1, 2023
• Post received by Sat May 6, 2023
• In-Person, Received by Tue May 2, 2023

Early Voting:

• Early Voting from Tue Apr 4, 2023 to Mon May 1, 2023

Request an absentee ballot by submitting the form found at the following links to the voter’s county board of elections no later than Noon on Saturday, November 5, 2022:

• Ohio Absentee Ballot – Ohio Secretary of State (ohiosos.gov)
• https://www.sos.state.oh.us/globalassets/elections/forms/11-a_english.pdf (English);
• https://www.sos.state.oh.us/globalassets/elections/forms/11-a_spanish.pdf (Spanish) 

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.

Absentee ballots can be returned by:

• Mailing to the county board of elections (https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/elections-officials/county-boards-of-elections-directory/) with a postmark no later than the day before the Election Day (Monday, November 7, 2022).  The absentee ballot must be received by the county board of elections by Friday, November 18, 2022
• Bringing the ballot in person to the county board of elections by 7:30pm on Election Day (Tuesday, November 8, 2022).  The one drop box is located at each county board of elections is the only drop box in each county.

Vote early at your county’s board of elections, or, in the case of Summit and Trumbull County, at an Early Vote Center.  Locations can be found here:  https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/toolkit/early-voting/

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:

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

If you do not have any of these IDs, you can provide a copy of one of the following with your registration application:

• Current and Valid Photo ID
• Government Issued Document that shows your current name and address
• Utility Bill
• Government Check
• Valid Military ID
• Bank Statement
• Paycheck that Shows your Current Name and Address

Statements and bills should be dated within one year of Election Day A notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections is not a valid form of ID If you do not have one of these forms of ID and need help getting ID, go to www.voteriders.org.

Voting In-Person

In Ohio, you need to show a current, valid ID to vote. Your ID must include your name, photo, and citizenship status. You may use ID from this list:

• Valid Ohio Driver’s License
• Valid Ohio Voter ID Card
• Valid US Passport
• Valid Military ID

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.

• If the voter shows up to the polls without ID, the voter is entitled to vote on a provisional ballot by providing either:
• (a) an Ohio driver’s license number or state identification number (begins with two letters followed by six numbers), or
• (b) the last four digits of their Social Security number.
• Once that information is reviewed and verified by the board of elections, their ballot will be counted.

• If the voter does not provide proper ID, their driver’s license/state identification number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number, the voter is still 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 proper ID within seven days following Election Day.  The voter should expect to 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.

• When voting by mail, voter must include either: 

• An 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 current and valid photo identification, a military identification, or a current (within the last 12 months) utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document (other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections) that shows the voter’s name and current address.

• All ID must be current and valid.

• Voters who move before the October 11^th registration deadline should update their registration with the county board of elections.

• Voters who moved after the October 11^th registration deadline should file a change of residence form or vote a provisional ballot at their local board of elections.

• All Ohio voters must have resided in Ohio for at least 30 days prior to the election in which they want to vote.

• Voters who move to a different voting precinct or county should go to the local board of elections for the new residence, sign an affirmation, 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
• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

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:

• U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested 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 submit 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 who has two convictions for violating Ohio’s elections laws is permanently barred from voting in Ohio. 
• A person with a misdemeanor conviction may vote, and 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.