Voting can be … complicated.
And while the state of Ohio has made strides to make the process easier over the years, here are some answers to questions you might have as you navigate the process and create your voting plan.
If you have a question we haven’t answered here, email us at news@citybeat.com.
How do you register to vote?
There are six prerequisites to registering to vote in the state of Ohio:
- You must be a citizen of the United States.
- You must be 18 years old on or before the day of the general election.
- You must have been a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election.
- You must not be currently incarcerated on a felony charge.
- You must not have been deemed incompetent to vote by a probate court.
- You must not have violated Ohio voting laws in the past.
You can vote in a primary election at 17 years old, but only if you’ll have a birthday before the following general election.
The Hamilton County Board of Elections explicitly says on its website that its goal is to make registering to vote easy.
Cincinnati residents can register in three ways: online, via snail-mail or in person.
To register online, visit voteohio.gov and click “Register to Vote Online” in the top left. You’ll be asked to provide your first and last name, date of birth, driver’s license or state ID number, and the last four digits of your Social Security Number. You’ll also be asked to provide an address. You do not have to provide a party identification during this process.
To register via mail, visit votehamiltoncounty.gov/register and click “Register by Mail” in the drop down menu. You can also call the Board of Elections office at (513) 946-8500 and ask them to mail you the registration form. The provided details are the same as applying online, and you do not have to provide a party identification.
To register in person, visit any of the following locations:
- The Hamilton County Board of Elections, 4700 Smith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45212
- The office of the registrar or any deputy registrar of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles
- Public libraries
- Public high schools or vocational schools
- County treasurer’s offices
- The office of the Secretary of State
- The office of any of the 88 county boards of elections
- Offices of designated agencies, including:
- The Department of Job and Family Services;
- The Department of Health (including the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program);
- The Department of Mental Health;
- The Department of Developmental Disabilities;
- Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities; or
- The office of any state-assisted college or university responsible for providing assistance to disabled students
You’ll have to provide the same details as above, and you won’t have to provide a party identification.
Are absentee ballots right for me?
The absentee request and ballot process can be overwhelming for potential voters, but understanding how you can benefit from this practical tool helps immensely.
Both Democrats and Republicans are seeing increases in voters using absentee ballots. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, 31% of all votes cast nationally in 2022 were filed absentee — an almost 11% increase since 2016.
If you want to file an absentee request, forms can be found on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website, and can be mailed or handed in directly at the Board of Elections office.
For identification purposes, you will need to provide either the last four digits of your Social Security Number, your state ID number, or a copy of another photo ID. You’ll also have to mark which type of election you’ll be filing the ballot in, the party you’ll be voting with, and the date of the election. It’s important to remember that a separate request must be filed for each election.
It usually takes a few days for the ballot to arrive at your home. Once it’s filled out, mail it back in as soon as possible. Forms should be addressed to the Hamilton County Board of Elections, 4700 Smith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45212.
It can also be turned back in to the Board of Elections office in person; but only you or a near relative can do so.
You can drop your absentee ballot off in person at a drop box at the board of elections, but it must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
The board of elections has a way for you to track your ballot so that you can ensure it has been received. Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page where there’s a form that reads Track My Absentee Ballot
How do you vote early?
Early voting in Ohio begins the day after the registration deadline.
To cast a ballot early starting April 7, go to the Hamilton County Board of Elections office at 4700 Smith Road in Cincinnati. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 24.
On Monday, April 27, the office will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, April 28, the office is open for an additional hour, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Hours go back to 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. for the remainder of that week, April 29-May 1.
The office is open the weekend before the election:
On Saturday, May 2, voters have from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to cast their ballots in person.
Sunday, May 2, those hours are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
If you need to fill out an absentee ballot, the request form must be received by April 28, meaning you should try to get it mailed out at least a week in advance (that means, if you’re reading this in our print edition, you don’t have much time left!).
Either way, make sure you bring an acceptable form of ID with you when you go. Click here to make sure you have the correct form of ID. Generally speaking, a state driver’s license or ID, a U.S. passport or military ID is acceptable.
These are the forms of ID that are not available:
- Driver License from another State
- Utility bill, bank statement, government check, payroll check, government document, concealed carry permit
- Social security card
- Ohio “mobile” ID
- Non-renewable/non-transferable ID
- Official mail or notice from the Board of Elections
- MARCC ID (Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati)
- Expired ID
Where do you find your polling place?
Polling place information can be found at voterlookup.ohiosos.gov. You’ll simply need to enter in your address to find your polling place.
What to know if you go
The state of Ohio has many rules about what is and is not allowed in a polling place. If you violate those rules, even if you did not mean to, there’s a chance you may be removed from the premises. Knowing these rules will help you be better prepared to vote in person on the big day.
Some very important things to remember while you’re out voting:
Two small U.S. flags are present one hundred feet from every polling place. That is the boundary beyond which you can’t “loiter, congregate, or engage in any kind of election campaigning” according to the Secretary of State’s office. That boundary extends 10 feet around any voter waiting in line past the flags.
You must bring an acceptable ID with you to the polls. Accepted IDs include a driver’s license, a state ID card, a U.S. passport, or a U.S. military ID card. Any ID presented must not be expired.
As of the approval of HB 281 on April 6, 2023, you may be limited to only 10 minutes in a voting compartment or with a voting machine if all the others are occupied. This does not apply to voters with disabilities.
Voters with disabilities may have anyone of their choice assist them in filling out their ballot, so long as the chosen person is not their employer or their union officer. This extends to absentee ballots as well.
A challenge may be issued by election officials if they believe you may not be a U.S. citizen, you may not have lived in Ohio for the requisite 30 days, you may not be in the correct polling place, or that you may not be of voting age. If a challenge is issued, an election official will ask a series of questions and may make you swear an oath.
If you’re challenged, you will still be able to fill out a provisional ballot, which will count if you are proven to be able to vote by the Board of Elections.
If you’re in line before 7:30 p.m., stay in line. You have the right to vote as long as you showed up while the polling place was still open.
If you have a question about voting you’d like us to answer for you, email news@citybeat.com.