Ohio Election FAQs

The Ohio General Election is Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

The polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.

Yes.  Click here and then click on your county to view your sample ballot.

You must register or update your voter registration no later than 30 days prior to an election. Upcoming voter registration deadlines:

• July 6, 2020 for the August 4, 2020 Special Election
• October 5, 2020 for the November 3, 2020 General Election

If you register or update your information after the deadline, the change will apply for the next election.

You are qualified to register to vote in Ohio if you meet all the following requirements:

• You are a citizen of the United States.
• You will be at least 18 years old on or before the day of the general election.
• You will be a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election in which you want to vote.
• You are not incarcerated (in jail or in prison) for a felony conviction.
• You have not been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court.
• You have not been permanently disenfranchised for violations of election laws.

You may register to vote online, in person or by mail.

ONLINE

To register 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 the paper form (PDF). Once you complete this form, you must sign and send it to your county board of elections.

If you are a Safe at Home participant, before you proceed, please follow this link to contact the Safe at Home office.

Click here to register to vote, change your address, or update your registration information online.

BY MAIL

Access Ohio’s Voter Registration form by clicking here. You may also use the National Mail Voter Registration form available at www.eac.gov/voter_resources/register_to_vote.aspx.

You can also ask your county board of elections or the Secretary of State’s office to mail a voter registration form to you.

IN PERSON

You may obtain a voter registration form and register to vote in person at any of the following locations:

• The office of the Secretary of State;
• The office of any of the 88 county boards of elections;
• The office of the registrar or any deputy registrar of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles;
• Public libraries;
• Public high schools or vocational schools;
• County treasurers’ offices; or
• Offices of designated agencies, including:
•         The Department of Job and Family Services;
• The Department of Mental Health;
• The Department of Health (including the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program);
• The Department of Developmental Disabilities;
• Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities; or
• The office of any state-assisted college or university responsible for providing assistance to students with disabilities.

When you have completed your voter registration form, please review it carefully for completeness and accuracy. You may either personally deliver, or send by U.S. Mail, your voter registration form to a county board of elections or the Secretary of State’s office. You, or another person acting on your behalf, also may deliver your application to one of the offices listed above, but you should ensure your application reaches the office of a board of elections or the Secretary of State no later than the voter registration deadline, the 30th day before the election at which you want to vote.

Tips for finding your information in the system:

• Are you registered to vote?
• Could you be registered with a derivative of your first name, ex. Bob or Robert?
• Could you be registered with a former last name?
• Could you be registered at a previous address in another Ohio county?

If you are unable to locate your voter registration information, but believe you are registered to vote, it is recommended that you search again making sure all information provided is accurate. Contact your county board of elections regarding any questions pertaining to your voter registration. Follow this link for a full listing of Boards of Elections.

If you are unable to locate your voter registration information but think you are registered to vote and you have not moved outside of your county of prior registration, you may be eligible to cast a provisional ballot during in-person absentee voting period at an appropriate early voting location or the county board of elections, or on Election Day at the correct polling place for your current address that may be counted.

To update your voter registration information 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 the paper form (PDF). Once you complete this form, you must sign and send it to your county board of elections.

If you are a Safe at Home participant, before you proceed, please follow this link to contact the Safe at Home office.

Click here to register to vote, change your address, or update your registration information online.

On Election Day, if you do not know where your designated precinct or polling place is located, please contact your county board of elections or click here to search for your polling place online.

According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, the forms of identification that may be used by a voter who appears at a polling place to vote on Election Day include:

• An unexpired Ohio driver’s license or state identification card with present or former address so long as the voter’s present residential address is printed in the official list of registered voters for that precinct;
• A military identification;
• A photo identification that was issued by the United States government or the State of Ohio, that contains the voter’s name and current address and that has an expiration date that has not passed;
• An original or copy of a current utility bill with the voter’s name and present address;
• An original or copy of a current bank statement with the voter’s name and present address;
• An original or copy of a current government check with the voter’s name and present address;
• An original or copy of a current paycheck with the voter’s name and present address; or
• An original or copy of a current other government document (other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections) that shows the voter’s name and present address.

For utility bills, bank statements, government checks, paychecks, and other government documents, “current” is defined as within the last 12 months. “Utility bill” includes a cell phone bill.  “Other government document” includes license renewal and other notices, fishing and marine equipment operator’s license, court papers, or grade reports or transcripts.  “Government office” includes any local (including county, city, township, school district and village), state or federal (United States) government office, branch, agency, commission, public college or university or public community college, whether or not in Ohio.

• Return your absentee ballot in person before the close of polls (7:30 p.m) on Election Day to your county board of elections
• Drop it in the mail (make sure it is postmarked no later than the day before the election).
• Go to your polling location and vote by provisional ballot.