Voting Information

Voting Information

Voting in Person on Election Day

Voter Identification

All voters must have photo identification with them when they vote on Election Day. Acceptable forms of ID include one of the following:

  • Unexpired Ohio driver’s license, state ID card, showing your name and address (current address not required for driver’s license or state ID card);
  • US military, Ohio National Guard or US Dept of Veterans Affaris ID Book; or
  • U.S. Passport Book/Card

If you do not provide one of these documents at the polling place, you will still be able to vote a provisional ballot (see below). You will then be expected to provide identification to the Board of Elections within the 4 days following Election Day. If you do not have any of the above forms of identification, including a Social Security number, you will still be able to vote a provisional ballot by signing an affirmation statement swearing to your identity under penalty of election falsification and by casting a provisional ballot.

Voting Machines

If you are not familiar with the type of voting machine used where you vote, the League of Women Voters recommends that you review the process of using the machine before Election Day. Learn more about voting machines used in your county.

Provisional Ballots

If your eligibility to vote is in question on Election Day, you can use a provisional ballot to cast your vote. No one should be turned away from a polling place without being given the opportunity to vote by provisional ballot. Once election officials can verify your eligibility, the provisional ballot is counted just like any other ballot.

A provisional ballot may be issued if:

  • You recently moved and did not update your voter registration.
  • You changed your name, did not update your voter registration, and did not bring legal proof of the name change (like a marriage license) to the polls.
  • Your name does not appear on the official poll list.
  • You cannot or do not provide proof of identity (a current, valid photo identification card; military identification; or US passport).
  • The poll list or signature book indicates that you requested an absentee ballot.
  • The poll list or signature book indicates that mailings have been returned undeliverable and you do not have a valid id.
  • Your signature does not match the signature on your registration form.
  • Your eligibility to cast a ballot has been challenged by the precinct officers.

If your eligibility is questioned, the League of Women Voters recommends that you cast a provisional ballot rather than leaving the polling place without casting a regular ballot. However, be sure that you are in the correct precinct polling place; if you vote in the wrong one, your vote will not be counted. Read more about provisional ballots and how to follow up on your vote.

Become a Poll Worker

It’s easy, it’s fun, it gives you extra cash, and it allows you to serve your state by actively participating in elections and preserving democracy!

  • You must be at least 18 by the general election and a registered voter.
  • You must be registered to vote in the county in which you plan to work; and
  • You have not been convicted of a felony (which has not been reversed, expunged, or pardoned).

Contact your local Board of Elections to apply. 

Absent Voter: Voting by Mail Before Election Day

Under a recent Ohio law, anyone may vote before Election Day using a mail-in form. You can use the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number as a form of ID when voting by mail. You DO NOT need a photo ID.

You must request an absentee ballot.

Download the absentee ballot request form (.pdf).  You must print it, sign it, and mail it - with a stamp - to the Board of Elections in the county where you are registered to vote.

  • Ask for an absentee ballot request form by phone from your Board of Elections. Franklin County residents should call (614) 525-3100; 
  • Pick up an absentee ballot request form at your Board of Elections office.

Fill out the absentee ballot request form and return it to your Board of Elections. The request form must be received by your county Board of Elections office by mail no later than the 7th day before the election. Your absentee ballot will be mailed to you. Absentee ballots generally become available 35 days before each election (25 days before the presidential primary). Unless you are living outside the United States, absentee ballots must be returned by in person 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to the Board of Elections or postmarked the day before the election and received by the Board of Elections by the 4th day after the election.

Learn about absentee voting options. Different rules apply if you are an active-duty member of Ohio’s organized militia, an active-duty member of the armed services, a U.S. citizen living outside the U.S., or a member of the uniformed services stationed outside Ohio.  A new service is available for these voters.

Absent Voter: Voting in Person Before Election Day

Under a recent Ohio law, you may vote in person before Election Day at your county Board of Elections using an absentee ballot without having to give any reason for voting absentee. Simply go to the county office in person during regular business hours no later than the day before the election; you must vote your absentee ballot while you are there. Voter ID requirements are the same for in person absentee voting as they are for voting on Election Day. See above for the specific photo ID requirements.