Voters can check or update their voter registration online, by mail or in-person at their local election board.
Here’s what voters should know heading into the fall election season:
Photo ID requirements
Voters wanting to cast a ballot in-person should make sure they bring a valid photo ID to the polls to comply with voter ID laws that went into effect this year.
Valid forms of identification include a non-expired Ohio driver license or a U.S. passport; invalid forms of identification include out-of-state driver licenses and Social Security cards. The complete list can be found at the Secretary of State website.
Ohio in April began issuing free state ID cards to people 17 and older. In order to obtain a state ID card, applicants must provide proof of their full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, citizenship and Ohio street address.
Ohioans can still cast a ballot without a photo ID — they just have to vote absentee. People can both register to vote and vote by mail using only the last four digits of their Social Security number.
How to vote
Early in-person voting: County election boards are open to voters starting on Wednesday through the Saturday and Sunday before Election Day.
Here’s the early voting schedule:
Oct. 11-13: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Oct. 16-20: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Oct. 23-27: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Oct. 30: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 31: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Nov. 1-3: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 4: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Nov. 5: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Absentee ballots: Those wanting to vote by mail should fill out an absentee ballot application. That application can be dropped off at or mailed to a local county board of elections office. This form must be received by the seventh day before Election Day; during this election, that would be Oct. 31, end of day.
Election board workers will then send off an absentee ballot to the applicant’s address. The voter can return the completed absentee ballot by mail, and it must be postmarked no later than the day before Election Day and received by your county board of elections no later than four days after the election.
Voters can also return their absentee ballots to their election board in person, or a near relative can deliver it on their behalf. The board of elections must receive the ballot no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
Election Day: Voters can confirm their polling locations at VoterLookup.OhioSoS.gov.
Two state issues
The Nov. 7 election will feature two statewide issues, as well as local levies and contested races.
Issue 1 is a citizen-initiated amendment that would, among other things, grant all “individuals” the right of reproductive autonomy. Issue 1 would also block the state from interfering with any reproductive decisions or penalizing Ohioans for making or aiding those decisions. A “yes” vote is in approval of the initiative, while a “no” vote is in rejection of the initiative. Read more about Issue 1 here.
Issue 2 would legalize recreational marijuana use for adults 21 years old or older, legalize home cultivation of a limited amount of marijuana plants and regulate the recreational industry. A “yes” vote is in approval of the initiative, while a “no” vote is in rejection of the initiative. Learn more about the issue here.
Contacting election boards
Butler County
1802 Princeton Road, Suite 600, Hamilton, OH 45011. Office Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (513) 887-3700 Fax: (513) 887-5535. E-mail: butler@OhioSoS.gov. Website: elections.bcohio.gov
Champaign County
1512 S. U.S. 68, Suite L100, Urbana, OH 43078. Office Hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (937) 484-1575 Fax: (937) 484-1578. E-mail: champaig@OhioSoS.gov. Website: www.boe.ohio.gov/champaign/
Clark County
3130 E. Main St., Springfield, OH 45505. Mailing Address: PO Box 1766 Springfield, OH 45501-1766. Office Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (937) 521-2120 Fax: (937) 328-2603. E-mail: elections@clark.boe.ohio.gov. Website: www.boe.ohio.gov/clark/
Greene County
551 Ledbetter Road, Xenia, OH 45385. Office Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (937) 562-6170 Fax: (937) 562-6171. E-mail: greene@OhioSoS.gov. Website: www.greene.boe.ohio.gov
Miami County
215 W. Main St., Troy, OH 45373. Office Hours: 8 a.m-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (937) 440-3900 Fax: (937) 440-3901. E-mail: miami@OhioSoS.gov. Website: www.boe.ohio.gov/miami/
Montgomery County
451 W. Third St. Dayton, OH 45422. Office Hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (937) 225-5656 Fax: (937) 496-7798. E-mail: web@montgomery.boe.ohio.gov. Website: www.montgomery.boe.ohio.gov
Warren County
520 Justice Dr., Lebanon, OH 45036. Office Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (513) 695-1358 Fax: (513) 695-2953. E-mail: wcboe@warrencountyohio.gov. Website: vote.warrencountyohio.gov
About the Author
