Get Ready to Vote

GET READY TO VOTE

VOTER REGISTRATION

Voter registration requirements

Must be registered to vote at least 30 days before an election: Deadline for the 2026 Midterm Elections is October 5 by 9pm;
Must be a US Citizen;
Must be 18 years old on or before the next general election;
Must be a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days;
Must not be incarcerated for a felony conviction;
Must not have been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court;
Must not have been permanently disenfranchised for violations of election laws.

Register to vote online here: You will need your Ohio driver's license or Ohio BMV-issued state ID number
- You can also print a paper voter registration form and mail it into your county Board of Elections: Only the last 4 digits of the voter's Social Security Number is required for the paper form, here.
Did you move or change your name? Update your voter registration here.
Not sure if you're registered? Or if you're registered correctly? Even if you voted in the last election, every Ohioan should regularly confirm that they are properly registered to vote.
- Click here to check your voter registration status. You can also print a paper voter registration form and mail it into your county Board of Elections; the form is here.

VOTER ID REQUIREMENTS

To vote early in-person or on Election Day you'll need one of the following types of photo ID, which must be unexpired but does not require a current address.

Any type of license or ID card issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor vehicles: this can include a commercial, motorcycle, probationary, restricted, temporary, interim, or suspended license;
An Ohio Bureau of Motor vehicles-issued state ID card;
A US passport book/card;
US military ID card; Ohio National Guard ID card; or US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card (must be a physical ID—digital ID cards are not accepted).

Change of Name

A voter’s name on their photo ID may be different from the voter’s reported change of name. To use a photo ID with a previous name, the voter must:

Provide proof of the legal name change;
Complete and sign Form 10-L;
Be registered within the precinct, the voter’s name on the photo ID may be different from the voter’s reported change of name.

If you do not have any of the above forms of identification at the time of casting your ballot:

You are entitled to cast a provisional ballot;
You will be given follow up instructions to ensure that your vote is counted;
You will have to eventually provided the required ID when you go to "cure" your ballot at your county Board of Elections office, which must be done within four days of Election Day for your vote to count.

EARLY VOTING: BY MAIL AKA ABSENTEE VOTING

Ohio voters have the opportunity to vote in any election from the convenience of their own home by requesting an absentee ballot. Voters can do this for any reason and do not need to provide a reason when requesting their ballot.

Voters must fill out and return an application to vote by mail and their absentee ballot will be mailed to them.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is seven days before the election in which you want to vote, but be sure to give yourself plenty of time and send your application as soon as possible if you choose to vote by mail!

ID required to vote by mail

Voters must provide either their: Ohio driver's license or Ohio BMV-issued state ID number OR the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number

How to vote by mail
STEP 1: Print/Request an absentee ballot request form

OPTION 1: Print your request form and mail it to your county Board of Elections
- Fill out an absentee ballot application online—here—and download the PDF and print from your printer
OPTION 2: Have an application mailed to you by your County Board of Elections
- Call Your Board of Elections and Request an Application; find your county's contact information here

STEP 2: Complete the absentee ballot application

Double check to make sure all the information is correct
Make sure you've signed your application

STEP 3: Return your absentee ballot application

OPTION 1: Mail your absentee ballot request form
OPTION 2: Personally deliver your absentee ballot request form back to your local county Board of Elections.

STEP 4: Wait to receive your mail ballot package in the mail from your county Board of Elections.

Make sure to follow the directions carefully to fill out and return your ballot.

STEP 5: Return your voted ballot.

OPTION 1: Mail your absentee ballot- give yourself plenty of time—it must received by your County Board of Elections by 7:30 pm on Election Day
OPTION 2: Personally deliver your ballot to the county Board of Elections. **
- It must be received by the Board of Elections by 7:30 PM on Election Day.
- If you don't want to walk it inside you can put it in the drop box.
  - **A voter may deliver the ballot personally or may have a family member deliver the absentee ballot. "Family member" includes spouse, domestic partner, mother, father, step-mother, step-father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister, half-brother, half-sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, child, step-child, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, or other family member living in the same household.
  - ** Voters with a disability are the exception to this: You can choose to personally deliver your ballot, or a disabled voter may select any person of their choosing to deliver their ballot, other than their employer or an officer in their union, by the close of polls on Election Day. The person delivering the ballot for a family member or disabled voter must complete an attestation form at the county board of elections office.
- DO NOT RETURN YOUR BALLOT TO YOUR LOCAL POLLING PLACE ON ELECTION DAY: It will not be counted.

VOTING BY MAIL PRO TIPS

INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER ON YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION: It's not required but if there's a problem, election workers can get in touch with you easily for quicker resolution
TRACK YOUR BALLOT: You can see that status of your ballot, from when you've sent in your application to when your county Board of Elections has received your ballot to when it's been counted. This way if there's any problem you know and can call to resolve it.
PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SIGNATURE: Boards of Elections include signature matching as part of their voter verification protocols, comparing the signature a voter uses on their ballot with the signature from the voter's most recent registration. If your signature has changed since you last registered to vote, print out a new registration form and send it into your county Board of Elections
DON'T DELAY REQUESTING AND/OR SENDING BACK YOUR MAIL BALLOT: You can request a ballot up to 90 days before an election.
PRO TIP: YOU DO NOT NEED A PHOTO ID TO CAST YOU BALLOT BY MAIL: You can use the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number when requesting and casting your ballot by mail.

EARLY VOTING: IN PERSON

Starting the day after the close of voter registration, all registered voters Ohio voters can voter early at their local county Board of Elections office or designated Early Vote Center

Click here for Ohio’s statewide voting schedule, and check here for the contact information and address of your county Board of Elections.

Photo ID is required to vote in person

See the list above
ID must be unexpired
Address on ID does not need to match

GET READY TO VOTE

Register to vote online here: You will need your Ohio driver's license or Ohio BMV-issued state ID number

You can also print a paper voter registration form and mail it into your county Board of Elections: Only the last 4 digits of the voter's Social Security Number is required for the paper form, here.

Did you move or change your name? Update your voter registration here.

Not sure if you're registered? Or if you're registered correctly? Even if you voted in the last election, every Ohioan should regularly confirm that they are properly registered to vote.

Click here to check your voter registration status​. You can also print a paper voter registration form and mail it into your county Board of Elections; the form is here.

VOTER ID REQUIREMENTS

Any type of license or ID card issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor vehicles: this can include a commercial, motorcycle, probationary, restricted, temporary, interim, or suspended license;

An Ohio Bureau of Motor vehicles-issued state ID card;

A US passport book/card;

US military ID card; Ohio National Guard ID card; or US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card (must be a physical ID—digital ID cards are not accepted).

​

Change of Name

A voter’s name on their photo ID may be different from the voter’s reported change of name.​ To use a photo ID with a previous name, the voter must:

Provide proof of the legal name change;

Complete and sign Form 10-L;

Be registered within the precinct, the voter’s name on the photo ID may be different from the voter’s reported change of name.​

​

If you do not have any of the above forms of identification at the time of casting your ballot:

You are entitled to cast a provisional ballot;

You will be given follow up instructions to ensure that your vote is counted;

You will have to eventually provided the required ID when you go to "cure" your ballot at your county Board of Elections office, which must be done within four days of Election Day for your vote to count.

More on voting with a provisional ballot here.

​

EARLY VOTING: BY MAIL AKA ABSENTEE VOTING

Ohio voters have the opportunity to vote in any election from the convenience of their own home by requesting an absentee ballot. Voters can do this for any reason and do not need to provide a reason when requesting their ballot.

Voters must fill out and return an application to vote by mail and their absentee ballot will be mailed to them.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is seven days before the election in which you want to vote, but be sure to give yourself plenty of time and send your application as soon as possible if you choose to vote by mail!

ID required to vote by mail

Voters must provide either their: Ohio driver's license or Ohio BMV-issued state ID number OR the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number

OPTION 1: Print your request form and mail it to your county Board of Elections

Fill out an absentee ballot application online—here—and download the PDF and print from your printer

OPTION 2: Have an application mailed to you by your County Board of Elections

Call Your Board of Elections and Request an Application; find your county's contact information here

STEP 2: Complete the absentee ballot application

Double check to make sure all the information is correct

Make sure you've signed your application

STEP 3: Return your absentee ballot application

OPTION 1: Mail your absentee ballot request form

OPTION 2: Personally deliver your absentee ballot request form back to your local county Board of Elections.

​

STEP 4: Wait to receive your mail ballot package in the mail from your county Board of Elections.

Make sure to follow the directions carefully to fill out and return your ballot.

STEP 5: Return your voted ballot.

OPTION 1: Mail your absentee ballot- give yourself plenty of time—it must received by your County Board of Elections by 7:30 pm on Election Day

OPTION 2: Personally deliver your ballot to the county Board of Elections. **

It must be received by the Board of Elections by 7:30 PM on Election Day.

If you don't want to walk it inside you can put it in the drop box.

DO NOT RETURN YOUR BALLOT TO YOUR LOCAL POLLING PLACE ON ELECTION DAY: It will not be counted.

VOTING BY MAIL PRO TIPS

INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER ON YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION: It's not required but if there's a problem, election workers can get in touch with you easily for quicker resolution

TRACK YOUR BALLOT: You can see that status of your ballot, from when you've sent in your application to when your county Board of Elections has received your ballot to when it's been counted. This way if there's any problem you know and can call to resolve it.

DON'T DELAY REQUESTING AND/OR SENDING BACK YOUR MAIL BALLOT: You can request a ballot up to 90 days before an election.

​PRO TIP: YOU DO NOT NEED A PHOTO ID TO CAST YOU BALLOT BY MAIL: You can use the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number when requesting and casting your ballot by mail.

​​

Starting the day after the close of voter registration, all registered voters Ohio voters can voter early at their local county Board of Elections office or designated Early Vote Center

​Click here for Ohio’s statewide voting schedule, and check here for the contact information and address of your county Board of Elections.

Photo ID is required to vote in person

See the list above

ID must be unexpired

Address on ID does not need to match

Click here to check your voter registration status. You can also print a paper voter registration form and mail it into your county Board of Elections; the form is here.

A voter’s name on their photo ID may be different from the voter’s reported change of name. To use a photo ID with a previous name, the voter must:

Be registered within the precinct, the voter’s name on the photo ID may be different from the voter’s reported change of name.

PRO TIP: YOU DO NOT NEED A PHOTO ID TO CAST YOU BALLOT BY MAIL: You can use the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number when requesting and casting your ballot by mail.

Click here for Ohio’s statewide voting schedule, and check here for the contact information and address of your county Board of Elections.