To vote in Ohio, you must be:
- A U.S. citizen;
- At least 18 years old on or before the day of the general election (17-year-olds who will turn 18 by the date of the general election may vote in the primary election for candidates only);
- A resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election; and
- Registered to vote at least 30 days before the election.
In addition, eligible voters:
- Are not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction;
- Have not been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a court;and
- Have not been permanently disenfranchised for violations of election laws.
In order to vote in any election, you must be registered to vote at least 30 days before the election. If you have recently moved to Ohio, you must file a new registration form.
As of January 1, 2017 you can register to vote online through the Ohio Secretary of State's website. If you have changed your address within Ohio and were previously registered to vote, you can update your address online through the Ohio Secretary of State's website.
Registering to Vote
To get a voter registration form:
- Register to vote through an online form at the Ohio Secretary of State's website.
- Pick up a hard copy voter registration form at your local library, high school, city or county clerk’s office, or public assistance office.
- Request a hard copy voter registration form over the phone from your county Board of Elections. Franklin County residents should call (614) 462-3100.
- Download a form now (.pdf).
- Military and overseas voters have a new tool available.
To check your current voter registration status, visit the Ohio Secretary of State's website (Franklin County voters may visit the Board of Elections website) and supply four items of information: Last Name, Street Name, Zip Code, County. After clicking on the Search button, you should see a list of all registered voters with the specified last name on the specified street. Click on the + sign to the left of a name to expand the listing to show Voter Address, Voter History, Precinct Name, and Polling Location Name and Address. (If you believe you are registered but do not find your name in the database, try using only the first few letters of your first or last name; sometimes errors are made entering voters' names into the system.)
On the day of each general election, the League of Women Voters staffs a Phone Bank at WBNS-10TV to answer voters' questions.
Finding Your Polling Place
If you are already registered to vote and simply need to find your polling place, choose your county below:
