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

1. You are a citizen of the United States;

2. You will be at least 18 years old on or before the day of the next general election. (If you will be 18 on or before the general election, you may vote in the primary election to nominate candidates, but you cannot vote on issues or party central committees until you are 18);

3. You will be a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election in which you want to vote;

4. You are not incarcerated (in prison or jail) for a felony conviction under the laws of this state, another state, or the United States;

5. You have not been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court; and

6. You have not been permanently disenfranchised for violating the election laws.

You are eligible to vote in elections held in your voting precinct 30 days after you are duly registered to vote in this state. You may request an absentee ballot during that 30 day period.

You can register online, by mail, or in person through approved voter registration locations. Registration must be completed before the state deadline prior to an election. 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 our 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.

REGISTRATION DEADLINES

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

• April 6, 2026 for the May 5, 2026 Primary and Special Election

• July 6, 2026 for the August 4, 2026 Special Election

• October 5, 2026 for the November 3, 2026 General Election

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

Ohio voters must provide any one of the following acceptable forms of identification when voting in person:

• Ohio driver license;

• State of Ohio ID card;

• Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV;

• A U.S. passport;

• A U.S. passport card;

• U.S. military ID card;

• A U.S. military dependent card

• Ohio National Guard ID card; or

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card

All photo IDs must have the following:

• An expiration date that has not passed;

• A photograph of the voter;

• The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the Poll List or in the Poll Book

NOTICE: An unexpired Ohio Driver License, State ID Card, or Interim Documentation with your former address IS an ACCEPTABLE form of ID when your current address is in the pollbook.

The candidates and issues on your ballot depend on where you live. To see exactly what will appear on your ballot, CLICK HERE enter your home address. This tool will show you the local, state, and federal races and issues specific to your voting district so you can review them before Election Day.

You do not lose the right to vote if you are convicted of a misdemeanor in Ohio. If you are incarcerated for a misdemeanor you should check voter registration status, register to vote if necessary, and request an absentee ballot from office administrators at your complex. Prisoners convicted of a misdemeanor CAN vote while incarcerated.

You can also vote while awaiting trial for any charge, even if incarcerated, as long as you have not lost your right to vote due to a prior conviction.

Felony conviction in Ohio

You lose the right to vote while incarcerated if you are convicted of a felony. If you are on parole, probation, or have fully completed your sentence, you may register to vote and cast a ballot.

• Find Your Early Voting Location

• View the Early Voting Schedule

* Information Needed to Request an Absentee Ballot

You must use the application form prescribed by the Secretary of State (Form 11-A) or provided to you by your county board of elections to apply for your absentee ballot.

Send your request to your county board of elections. Board mailing addresses are available at OhioSoS.gov/boards.

Absentee Voting By Mail

All Ohio voters whose registration information is up-to-date have the opportunity to vote in any election from the convenience of their own homes by requesting an absentee ballot. Absentee voting has many benefits — you can vote early, it is convenient, it reduces the chance of lines at the polls on Election Day, and absentee ballots are the first votes counted on Election Night. Voters need only fill out, and return an application and their absentee ballot will be mailed to them so they may make their selections at their leisure, and return their ballot to the board of elections ahead of Election Day.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is seven days before the election in which you want to vote. If mailed, absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted. You can also return your absentee ballot in person to your county board of elections before the close of the polls at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

You can request your ballot for each individual election beginning on January 1 or 90 days before the date of an election, whichever is earlier, but you must complete and submit a separate application for each election in which you want to vote. Your request must be received by your local county board of elections by the close of business on the seventh day before the election. However, you should submit your request as far in advance of the election as possible to ensure there is sufficient time for the board to mail you a ballot and for you to timely return that ballot.

Steps to request and vote an absentee ballot:

1. Complete the absentee ballot request form*.

   Once you have completed your application by providing all of the required information, print and sign it.

   1. Mail the request form back to your county board of elections. Board mailing addresses are available at OhioSoS.gov/boards.

   2. Wait to receive your ballot in the mail from your county board of elections. If you have questions about your absentee ballot request, you should call your county board of elections. You can track the status of your ballot request and voted absentee ballot through the Voter Toolkit.

   3. Return your voted ballot.

      • If mailed, absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.

      • If you are returning your absentee ballot in person to your board of elections, you must do so by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Only you, your spouse, child, or a near relative* may deliver your ballot to the board of elections for you.

      • A disabled voter may select any person of their choosing to deliver their ballot, other than their employer or an officer in their union.

      • The person delivering the ballot for a family member or disabled voter must complete an attestation form at the county board of elections office (Form 12-P)(opens in a new window).

      • If you are a member of the uniformed services or a voter outside of the United States, ballots must be received by the fourth day after the election. Sign your identification envelope by the close of polls on Election Day or return in person by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

        *Near relative includes the voter’s spouse or the voter’s father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother, or sister of the whole or half blood, or the son, daughter, adopting parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece.

If you do not vote your absentee ballot and instead decide to go to your assigned polling place on Election Day, you must vote a provisional ballot.

Note: No voted ballot may be returned to a board of elections by fax or e-mail. If a voted ballot is returned by fax or e-mail, it will not be accepted, processed, or counted.

Military and Overseas Voters

Note: State and federal law make additional accommodations for military and overseas voters. Please visit MilitaryVotes.Ohio.gov for more information

Hospitalized Voters

If you or your minor child is in the hospital on Election Day, you must submit a properly-completed and signed request to the board of elections of the county in which your voting residence is located by 3 p.m. on Election Day. To be eligible under this provision, you or your minor child must be confined in a hospital because of an accident or unforeseeable medical emergency. If you or your minor child is hospitalized in the same county where you are registered to vote, two representatives of the board of elections can deliver the ballot to you, wait while you mark the ballot, and return your voted ballot to the board office. Additionally, you may include in your absentee ballot application a request that your county board of elections give your unmarked ballot to a designated relative – your spouse, father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother, sister, son, daughter, adopted parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece – who shall deliver the ballot to you in the hospital and return your voted ballot to the board office. Click here for Hospitalized Absentee Ballot Request Form 11-B(opens in a new window).

Voters With Disabilities

Any Ohio voter with a qualifying disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act can request an absentee ballot to complete through the accessible absentee voting system. Click here for Accessible Absentee Ballot Request Form 11-G.(opens in a new window)

Early In-Person Voting

In Ohio, voters have many options to vote. Starting the day after the close of voter registration, all registered voters may request and vote an absentee ballot in person at their county board of elections or early voting center as designated by the county.

Click here for times and locations for early in-person voting.