State of Ohio Elections and Voting

Election Day is November 5

October 7 Deadline for voter registration
October 8 First day of early in-person voting
October 29 Deadline for election authority to receive absentee ballot requests
November 4 Last day of early in-person voting
November 4 Deadline to postmark absentee ballots (if received by November 9)
November 5 Election Day

You may register to vote in Ohio if:

You are a citizen of the United States
You will be 18 years old on or before the day of the general election
You will be resident of Ohio for 30 days before election day
You are not incarcerated (in prison or jail) for a felony conviction
You have not been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court
You have not been permanently disenfranchised for violating election laws

*An otherwise qualified person convicted of a misdemeanor may vote, and an otherwise qualified person who had been convicted of a felony may register and vote while on probation or parole, or after completing his or her jail or prison sentence. The voter registration of a person who is incarcerated on a felony conviction is cancelled; once that person has completed his or her jail or prison sentence, or is on probation, parole or community control, he or she must re-register to vote by the registration deadline before voting.

How to register to vote:

To register to vote online you will need to provide the following:

Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card number
Name
Date of Birth
Address
Last four digits of your Social Security number

If you do not have any portion of the required information, follow this link to update your voting address using our paper form (PDF). Once you complete this form, you must sign and send it to your county board of elections.

Voter ID Requirements

There are several types of valid photo identification.

Ohio driver’s license;
State of Ohio ID card;
Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV;
A US passport;
A US passport card;
US military ID card;
Ohio National Guard ID card; or
US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card

All photo IDs must have the following:

An expiration date that has not passed;
A photograph of the voter;
The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the Poll List or in the Poll Book

NOTICE: An unexpired Ohio Driver License, State ID Card, or Interim Documentation with your former address IS an ACCEPTABLE form of ID when your current address is in the pollbook.

Ohioans who are 17 years and older can receive a state ID card at no cost from the BMV. Follow this link to learn more about obtaining an Ohio ID at no cost.

Visit VoteRiders for more information on voter ID requirements in Ohio.

Absentee Voting

All Ohio voters whose registration information is up-to-date have the opportunity to vote in any election from the convenience of their own homes by requesting an absentee ballot. To request an absentee ballot:

Print your request and mail it to your county board of elections, OR
Call your board of elections to have an application mailed to you

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is seven days before the election in which you want to vote. If mailed, absentee ballots must be postmarked by the day before the election in order to be counted. You can also return your absentee ballot in-person to your county board of elections before the close of the polls at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

Early In-Person Voting

Starting the day after the close of voter registration, registered voters may cast an early in-person ballot at their county board of elections. Check the map and list linked here for the early in-person voting location in your county.

Resources

Tribes in Ohio

Federally recognized tribes

None

State recognized tribes

None

Native Vote Coordinator(s):

Major Party Contact Information

Democrat
Chair, Liz Walters
www.ohiodems.org

Republican
Chair, Alex Triantafilou
www.ohiogop.org