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HOW TO VOTE IN OHIO
Registration
Absentee Voting
Provisional Voting
Voting Procedures
Boards of Election for the Greater Cincinnati Area
Absentee Ballot Applications:
- Voters in Hamilton County can access an absentee ballot request form online at http://www.hamilton-co.org/BOE Click on “Absentee Voting” in sidebar. The form is in pdf format.
- Voters in Butler County can access an absentee ballot request form online at http://www.butlercountyelections.org Click on “Voter Information” in the top menu. The form is in pdf format.
- Voters in Clermont County can access an absentee ballot request form online at http://www.clermontelections.org Click on “Absentee/Armed Forces” in sidebar. The form is in pdf format.
- Voters in Warren County can access an absentee ballot request form online at http://www.co.warren.oh.us/bdelec/index.htm Click on “Absent Voter Information” in sidebar. The form is in pdf format.
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VOTER ELIGIBILITY
You are qualified to vote if:
 You are a
citizen of the United States
You are at least
18 years old on or before the day of the general election.
If you will be
18 on or before the November election date you are eligible to register to vote and
participate in the primary election, even though you may be 17 at the time of the primary
election. You may vote in the primary election for candidates only, but not on issues.
You will be a
resident of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election.
You register to
vote at least 30 days before the election.
How is residence determined?
By law your residence is the place to which, wherever you are absent, you have the
intent to return. Leaving for temporary purposes, such as military service or school does
not result in a change of residence for voting purpose, unless you register in the area
where you are currently residing.
Can a student vote from his/her school address?
Yes if a student regards that place as his/her residence and registers to vote.
Otherwise, the student must vote in his/her home community registered
Can a prisoner vote in Ohio?
Persons convicted of a misdemeanor may vote, even if incarcerated at the time of the
election. Persons convicted of a felony and incarcerated lose the right to vote. When
discharged, granted probation, parole, or pardoned, their voting rights are restored. In
some instances, these persons need to reregister to vote.
REGISTRATION
Does everyone have to be registered?
Yes, except for members of the armed forces serving on active duty. Their spouses and
dependents are also exempt if they have left Ohio to be near the service member.
At the office of any Bureau
of Motor Vehicles.
At any county
board of elections or the Secretary of State's office.
At branch
registration offices or locations established by a board of elections.
At any public
high school or vocation school.
At offices of
designated agencies which provide public assistance or disability programs.
Public libraries
County
treasurer's office.
By mail. You may
request a registration form from a board of elections or the Secretary of State's office
by mail, telephone, in person or by having another person obtain it for you. After
completing the form, return it to the board of elections or Secretary of State's office by
mail. Mailed registration forms sent to a county board of elections or the Secretary of
State's office must be postmarked 30 days before an election to be valid for the election.
Registration forms not mailed in must be received by a board of elections, the Secretary
of State's office, office of any Bureau of Motor Vehicles or designated agencies 30 days
before an election to be valid for that election.
Do I declare by politics when I register?
No, under Ohio law, your party affiliation is determined by the ballot you vote in a
primary election.
What if I change my address or name?
If you are now registered and move within the state or same county or change your
name, you must report the change to the board of elections.
You may report the change:
By mail on a
registration form
At the board of
elections, at a branch registration office established by the board or at the office of
the Secretary of State.
At the office of
any Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
At designated
agencies (see above for list).
By completing
the notice of change in voting status and filing with the court when you apply for a
marriage license or when your name is changed by court order.
Mailed forms sent to a county board of elections or the Secretary of State office must be
postmarked 30 days before an election to be valid for the election.
Forms not mailed in must be received by a board of elections, the Secretary of State's
office, office of any Bureau of Motor Vehicles or designated agencies 30 days before an
election to be valid for that election.
Exceptions: If you change your name, move within your precinct, or move from one precinct
to another in you county, you may report the change and vote by appearing at the board of
elections during absentee voting period; or on election day you may go to the polling
place in the precinct in which you reside, the board of elections, or site designated by
the board. If you move from one county to another in the state, you may report the change
and vote at the board of elections in the county in which you now reside during the
absentee voting period, or on election day at the board of elections or site designated by
the board.
The Secretary of State's office maintains a phone line to provide information on
registration and voting for deaf citizens. The number is TDD (614) 466-0562.
ABSENTEE VOTING
You may vote by absentee ballot if:
Any registered voter in Ohio may request an Absentee Ballot.
How do I apply?
Write or go to the board of elections in your county and request an absentee ballot,
giving the following information. (A form is available from your county board of elections
for convenience, but is not required).
Your name and
voting residence, Date of birth, Phone number and ONE of the following:
- Driver's license number OR
- Last four digits of your Social Security number OR
- A copy of a valid photo ID OR
- A current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that has your name and address listed.
The election for
which you are requesting a ballot.
Your party
choice if the election is a primary or that you want an issues-only ballot.
The mailing
address to which you want your ballot sent.
Your written
signature.
Note: The absentee ballot request deadline is 3 p.m. on election day in the case of
medical emergencies. To be eligible under this provision, you must be confined in a
hospital because of a medical emergency that occurred not more than 6 days before the
election.
A close relative may deliver and return you ballot if you so request and state the
relative's name and relationship on the application, or representatives of the board of
elections can be requested to deliver the ballot.
All voted absentee ballots must be received at the board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on
election day in order to be counted. Voters should request an absentee ballot as early as
possible in order to meet the return deadline.
Exception: Ballots mailed out of the country will be counted if received by the board up
to 10 days after election day, if post-marked by election day.
ARMED SERVICE ABSENTEE VOTING
Who may vote using the armed service absentee ballot?
If you are serving in the US armed forces on active duty outside the state, you, your
spouse, and dependents may vote by an armed service absentee ballot if you otherwise meet
the requirements for voting in Ohio. Your spouse and dependents may vote by an armed
service absentee ballot only if they left Ohio to be with you.
What is the voting residence of a service member?
That place where you resided when you first entered the service, unless you later
established a voting residence elsewhere in Ohio.
Must armed service absentee voters register?
No.
How do I apply for an armed service absentee ballot?
You, your spouse, or a close relative may request the board of elections to mail a
ballot to you. Applications may be made in person or by mail. An Ohio application form or
a federal post card application may be used for convince, but neither is requires; however
all mail requests must include the following information:
Your name and
voting residence.
A statement that
you are serving in the US armed forces on active duty or are the spouse or dependent of a
service member.
The election for
which a ballot is requested.
Your party
choice if the election is a primary or that you want an issue-only ballot.
The mailing
address to which you want your ballot sent.
Signature of
person requesting ballot.
PROVISIONAL VOTING
If voter registration records have not been updated by either the voter
or the county board of elections, Provisional Voting allows voters, who
would otherwise not be permitted to vote, to cast a ballot and have
their registration information later verified. Provisional Voting also
allows voters who have moved within thirty days of an election to vote
in their new precinct by completing a simple form.
You will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot at the polling place
after completing and signing a provisional affirmation statement for any
of the following reasons:
Your name does not appear on the official poll list for an election,
or an election official asserts that you are not eligible to vote or is
unable to determine your eligibility.
You are unable or decline to provide the required proof of identity,
which includes a current and valid photo identification card, military
identification, a copy of utility bill, bank statement, paycheck,
government check, or government document showing your name and current
address. (Note: You cannot use as proof of identification a notice that
the board of elections mailed to you.)
Your name appears on the poll list or signature book as having
requested an absentee ballot.
Your name is marked on the poll list or signature book with a notation
that registration mailings have been returned as undeliverable.
A hearing on a challenge to your eligibility as an elector has been
postponed until after Election Day.
Your signature, in the opinion of the precinct officers, does not
match the signature on your registration form.
Your eligibility to cast a ballot has been challenged by the precinct
officers, and you refuse to make the required statement.
VOTING
PROCEDURES
The Secretary of State's office maintains a phone line to provide information on
registration and voting for deaf citizens. The number is TDD (614) 466-0562. Polling
places are to be free of barriers to disabled persons. Voting accessibility in every
polling place is assured. If necessary, election officials belonging to different
political parties will provide assistance so that the voter may vote in the vehicle that
brought the individual to the polling place, or at the door of the polling place.
Where do I vote?
You cast your ballot at the polling place designated to serve the precinct in which
you reside. If you are in doubt as to the location of this polling place check with your
county board of elections.
When are the polls open?
6:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
May a voter receive assistance in voting?
Persons with a physical or mental disability or who are illiterate may be assisted by
anyone of their own choice, except for an employer or his/her agent, a union officer or a
candidate whose name appears on the ballot. The voter may be assisted by two poll workers
of opposing parties.No one who assists a voter may disclose any information about how that
person voted.
How do I establish which party's ballot I am entitled to vote?
If you are a new voter, you may vote the primary ballot on any political party. If you
voted the primary ballot of a political party in previous year(s) and this year want to
vote the ballot of another party, then you change your affiliation by signing a statement
to that effect when you vote.
May I vote on ballot issues in a primary without declaring my politics?
Yes you may vote on issues without voting for the candidates of a political party by
requesting a questions-and-issues ballot.
For additional information contact:
www.sos.state.oh.us
Jennifer Brunner, Ohio Secretary of State
180 E. Broad St., 16th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Toll free: 1-877-SOS-FILE or 1-877-767-3453
BOARDS OF ELECTION
FOR THE GREATER CINCINNATI AREA:
BOARDS OF ELECTION FOR THE GREATER CINCINNATI AREA
Hamilton County Board of Elections
http://www.hamilton-co.org/BOE
824 Broadway
Cincinnati, OH 45202-1345
Office Hours 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Monday thru Friday) Call for Saturday hours.
Phone: (513) 632-7000
Fax: (513) 579-0988
Butler County Board of Elections
http://www.butlercountyelections.org
315 High Street, 10th Floor - Government Services Bldg.
Hamilton, OH 45011
Office Hours 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Monday through Friday)
Phone: (513) 887-3700 or in the Middletown area (513) 424-0469
Fax: (513) 887-5535
Visit website for
additional contact information
Clermont County Board of Elections
http://www.clermontelections.org
76 S. Riverside Dr.
Batavia, OH 45103
Office Hours 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Monday thru Friday)
Phone: (513) 732-7275
Fax: (513) 732-7330
Visit website for
additional contact information
Warren County Board of Elections
http://www.co.warren.oh.us/bdelec/index.htm
406 Justice Drive, Room 323
Lebanon, OH 45036
Office Hours 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Monday thru Friday)
Phone: (513) 695-1358
Fax: (513) 695-2953
Visit website for
additional contact information
July 2007
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