EARLY & Absentee VOTING

EARLY & Absentee VOTING

2026 FALL GENERAL ELECTION | Nov. 3, 2026

Here is the link to download an Absentee Ballot Application.

  • OCT 5--Deadline to Register to Vote. HOW TO REGISTER

  • OCT 6--Early In-Person Voting at Boards of Elections begins. The Board of Elections starts to mail absentee ballots.

Office hours for early in-person voting can also be found here when posted by Portage County Board of Elections or listed below. MAP to Portage County BOE, 449 S. Meridian St., Ravenna, Ohio. For Portage County OH voters, the only place you can early vote in person is at the Board of Elections office: 449 S. Meridian, Ravenna, OH  44266.

Here are Portage County early voting dates and times:

EARLY VOTING SCHEDULE PORTAGE COUNTY

Weekdays, Oct 6-23

8am-5pm

In-person early voting

Sat, Oct 24

8am-4pm

  

Mon, Oct 26

7:30am-7:30pm

In-person early voting

Tues, Oct 27

7:30am - 8:30pm

In-person early voting

Wed, Oct 28-Fri, Oct. 30

7:30am - 7:30pm

In-person early voting

Sat, Oct 31

8am - 4pm

In-person early voting

Sun, Nov 1

1pm - 5pm

In-person early voting; EARLY VOTING ENDS

Mon, Nov 2

  

NO EARLY VOTING

Tues, Nov 3

 

ELECTION DAY, polls open 6:30am-7:30pm
Absentee ballots must be delivered on this day to the Board of Elections by 7:30pm in person or BY MAIL.

 

  • OCT 27--Deadline for absentee ballot applications to be received by county Boards of Elections. 

  • NOV 1--Last day to vote early in person at the Board of Elections. Portage County Board of Elections is located at the county administration building, 449 S. Meridian St., Ravenna, OH. MAP

  • NOV 3--Election Day: Tuesday. Polls open 6:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Find your polling place here. No one will be able to vote at the Board of Elections office.

  • NOV 3, 7:30 PM--Deadline for absentee ballots to be personally delivered and delivered by mail to your County Board of Elections. It is recommended to mail ballots as soon as you complete it or at least two weeks before the election according to uncertain information about postal delivery. Portage County Board of Elections: MAP

Click here to access the full 2026 Ohio Elections calendar.

 

Identification Needed to Vote

You'll need one of the following forms of unexpired Photo IDs:

  • BMV issued Ohio license or ID card (old address acceptable)|
  • U.S. Military, U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs, or Ohio National Guard card.
  • U.S. Passport Book/Card.

​You can no longer: 

  • Vote with the last four digits of your Social Security Number.
  • Use a copy of a Photo ID, utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document as a form of ID.

LICENSES BMV ID CardsBMV Issued Licenses/ID Cards

Beginning on April 7, 2023:

  • Any permanent or temporary resident of Ohio 17 years of age or older qualifies for a BMV issued State ID Card free of charge if that person:

    • is not licensed as an operator of a motor vehicle in this or any other state. 

    • does not hold an identification card from another state.

  • All non-citizens who apply for a license or ID card of any kind will have a notification on their card that indicates they are not a citizen of the United States.

  • Individuals who becomes citizens of the U.S. may qualify for a free replacement of their license/ID card if all of the following is true

    1. The card is valid and its expiration date is not within 90 days of expiration.​

    2. Their current card indicates the cardholder was a noncitizen

    3. The applicant is a U.S. citizen at the time of application. ​

Please note that an ID card is not the same as a license and does not grant you the privilege to operate any motor vehicle.

quick links bar

CLICK HERE to register online to vote.

CLICK HERE for the newest official Absentee Ballot Application.

vote411.org

Personalized Voting Information for you at VOTE411.ORG

vote411.org

 

 

  • See what's on your ballot at Vote411

  • Check your voter registration there

  • Find your polling place there

  • Discover upcoming candidate forums in your area

  • Issue information for Portage County and all of its municipalities uploaded by the League of Women Voters of Kent

  • FREE and accessible 24 hours

  • Nonpartisan

  • Candidates enter their own information online

  • And much more to get you ready to vote

  • Click here to go to vote411.org

 

voters guide

 2026 General Election Voters Guide will

be available for download here.


Questions header

Questions

Have questions? A complete election calendar is available at the Ohio Secretary of State's website here.

You can also visit the site of the Portage County Board of Elections at portagecounty-oh.gov/board-elections. 

Or you can email us at the League of Women Voters of Kent, lwvkent [at] gmail.com, or call us at (330) 271-6188.