Ohio voters have three choices to cast their ballots this Election Day
* Vote by mail. Which requires first requesting a ballot, then mailing it in.
* Vote early in person at your county board of elections.
* Vote in person on Election Day at your local polling place.
IMPORTANT DATES:
SEPT. 1 | Date absentee ballot request forms will first be received in the mail by registered voters |
OCT. 5 | Voter registration ends. NOTE: You may want to confirm you're registered to vote as Ohio purged 460,000 voters from the rolls in 2019, many for inactivity. |
OCT. 6 | Early in-person voting begins at your local Board of Elections. NOTE: You’ll need ID such as a driver’s license, bank statement, utility bill, pay stub military or state ID and you’ll need to wear a mask. |
OCT. 27 | Date by which Secretary of State Frank LaRose recommends voters return their ballots by mail. |
NOV. 2 | Date by which absentee ballots must be postmarked to be counted. |
NOV. 3 |
Election Day. Last day to vote in-person at your county Board of Elections. NOTE: You’ll need ID such as a driver’s license, bank statement, utility bill, pay stub military or state ID and you’ll need to wear a mask. Polls close at 7:30pm. |
IMPORTANT LINKS:
Download your ballot request form
If you haven't received an absentee ballot request form in the mail by September 30, you will want to request one, unless you plan to vote in person. You’ll need one of the following items showing proof of your identification:
-
- Your Ohio driver's license number (begins with two letters followed by six numbers);
- The last four digits of your 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 your name and current address.
Mail your request to your county board of elections.
Locations, directions and contact information for your local Board of Elections
Once the board of elections receives your ballot, you can track it through this page. Select your county and the link will take you directly to the form to request ballot tracking.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT VOTING BY ABSENTEE MAIL BALLOT
- Review your ballot request form and ballot to ensure you have filled them out properly, including writing the appropriate date, providing your required identifying information, and signing the form. Then check it again. Errors may invalidate your ballot and lose valuable time through replacement.
- Include your e-mail and/or phone number. County board of elections personnel may be calling or e-mailing voters to correct mistakes, but not if they can’t reach you.
- Don’t wait. Besides normal processing time, it’s smart to allow extra time for the postal service to deliver your ballot to you and for you to return the ballot by mail to the Board of Elections.
- Track your ballot. After the Board of Elections receives your ballot request, you can track your ballot. As long as your ballot is postmarked by November 2 and received by November 13, your vote will be tabulated.