Voting in Ohio

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Voting policies are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which American citizens cast their ballots in their individual states.

THE BASICS

Ohio permits early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, and online voter registration.

An Ohio voter must provide some form of documentation proving his or her identity at the polls, but a photo is not required.

See state election laws

This page includes the following:

• Voter registration details, including methods of registering and requirements
• Details on voting in elections, including identification requirements, poll times, and primary election type
• Absentee/mail-in voting rules
• Early voting rules
• Convicted felons' voting rights
• Election administration costs report
• Election agencies list
• Election policy ballot measures list
• Election policy legislation list

See Election governance in Ohio for more detailed information about election and voting policy in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, and post-election auditing practices.

Voter registration

To register to vote in Ohio, an applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the election. Individuals who are incarcerated for a felony conviction, have been declared by a court to be incompetent for voting purposes, or have been permanently disenfranchised may not register to vote. Applicants may register to vote online, in person, or by mail. The Ohio Voter Registration and Information Update Form is available online and can be requested by mail. In-person voter registration is available at various locations including the secretary of state and board of elections offices, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices, public libraries and high schools, and other state agencies. A full list of locations is available here. The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before the next election.

Automatic registration

Ohio does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Ohio has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Ohio does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must be residents of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Ohio does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Verifying your registration

The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voting in elections

File:Barack Obama votes in the 2012 election.jpg

President Barack Obama and others casting their ballots in 2012

Voter identification

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Ohio requires voters to present identification while voting. Voters are also required to announce their full name and current address before voting.

Voters can present the following forms of identification:

• Unexpired Ohio driver’s license or state identification card with address
• Military ID
• Photo ID issued by the United States government or the State of Ohio that has the voter’s name, current address, and an expiration date that has not passed
• Original or copy of a current utility bill with the voter’s name and address
• Original or copy of a current bank statement with the voter’s name and address
• Original or copy of a current government check with the voter’s name and address
• Original or copy of a current paycheck with the voter’s name and address
• Original or copy of a current other government document (other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections) that shows the voter’s name and address

Background

As of April 2021, 35 states enforced (or were scheduled to begin enforcing) voter identification requirements. A total of 21 states required voters to present photo identification at the polls; the remainder accepted other forms of identification. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.

Poll times

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Ohio, all polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Voters who are in line at 7:30 p.m. are permitted to vote.

Primary election type

See also: Primary elections in Ohio

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Ohio utilizes an open primary system. In an open primary system, a voter does not have to register with a political party beforehand in order to vote in that party's primary. In Ohio, voters select their preferred party primary ballots at their polling places on Election Day.

Absentee voting

See also: Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Ohio. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.

Absentee ballots may be requested for each individual election beginning on January 1, or 90 days before the date of an election, whichever is earlier. The request must be received by the local county board of elections by noon the third day before the election. A returned absentee ballot must then be postmarked at least one day before Election Day and received by the elections board no later than 10 days after the election.

Early voting

See also: Early voting and Ohio early voting, 2014

Ohio permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

As of April 2021, 38 states and the District of Columbia permitted early voting. Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on election day. States that do not permit early voting still permit some or all citizens to vote early by mail—often known as absentee voting. Some states allow no-excuse absentee voting, while others require an excuse. States that allow in-person absentee voting without an excuse are counted among early voting states. Click here for early voting laws by state.

Convicted felons' voting rights

See also: Voting rights for convicted felons

In Ohio, individuals convicted of a felony automatically regain their voting rights upon release from prison or jail. Those who have committed two or more felony offenses pertaining to elections are ineligible to vote.

Voting rights for convicted felons vary from state to state. In the majority of states, convicted felons cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.

Election administration costs

National Conference of State Legislatures report, 2018

On February 14, 2018, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) released a report on the costs of election administration in the states: "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections." The report's authors noted that "no one knows how much [states] spend on elections ... [because] good research on election costs is slim." Generally, local units of government (most often counties, but sometimes cities and towns) are primarily responsible for election administration costs, though states and the federal government may also contribute. The report identified the states listed in the table below as assuming financial responsibility for at least some aspects of election administration.

To access the complete NCSL report, click here.

Election administration costs assumed by state
State pays all expenses for federal or state elections	State bears a portion of election costs	State pays for statewide special elections or statewide elections that don’t coincide with regularly scheduled elections	State pays for primary elections (statewide, presidential, or both)
Alaska Delaware	Alabama Colorado Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Rhode Island	Arkansas Florida Iowa Michigan Missouri New Jersey North Dakota Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Tennessee Washington West Virginia	Arizona Arkansas Idaho Kansas Michigan Minnesota Missouri South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington
Note: If a state is not listed above, it was not included in the report. Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections," February 14, 2018

Noteworthy events

2018

On October 31, 2018, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ordered Ohio election officials to count provisional ballots for the 2018 election cast by qualified voters removed from registration rolls between 2011 and 2015 that still live in the same county indicated on their last registrations. The decision came after a federal judge earlier that month dismissed a suit against the state in which the plaintiffs alleged that notices sent to inactive voters between 2011 and 2015 violated federal law. The plaintiffs appealed this decision to the Sixth Circuit, which issued its October 31 order pending resolution of the appeal.

2014 and 2015

On February 21, 2014, Governor John Kasich signed into law two bills that altered the state's early and absentee voting provisions. Senate Bill 238 eliminated "Golden Week," a period during which state residents could register and vote on the same day, and shortened the early voting period by a week. Senate Bill 205 established a requirement that the Secretary of State obtain funding approval from the legislature before mailing absentee ballot applications statewide.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Cuyahoga County executive Ed FitzGerald denounced the bills as "outrageous and unnecessary and totally motivated by a desire to make it tougher to vote." He also indicated that he had directed his county law director to review the bills for possible legal action.

The Ohio Association of Election Officials said that allowing individuals to both register and vote on the same day results in difficulties in properly validating voters.

Senate Bill 238 was subject to a legal challenge. On April 17, 2015, the parties involved agreed to a settlement. The terms of the settlement included the restoration of one day of voting on Sunday, additional weekday evening voting hours, and the elimination of "Golden Week," a period during which state residents could register and vote on the same day."

Election agencies

File:US-ElectionAssistanceCommission-Seal.svg

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Ohio can contact the following state and federal agencies.

Ohio Secretary of State, Elections Division

180 East Broad Street

Columbus, Ohio 43215

Phone: 614-466-2585

Website: http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections.aspx

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

1335 East West Highway, Suite 4300

Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Telephone: 866-747-1471

Election policy ballot measures

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Ohio ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Ohio.

1. Ohio 30-Day Voter Eligibility, Amendment 1 (1977)
2. Ohio Ballot Language and Petition Requirements, Amendment 1 (June 1978)
3. Ohio Ballot Measure Language, Amendment 3 (May 1974)
4. Ohio Biennial Elections, Amendment 1 (1905)
5. Ohio Biennial Elections, Amendment 3 (1889)
6. Ohio Campaign Finance Reform, Amendment 3 (2005)
7. Ohio Compulsory Primaries, Amendment 1 (1926)
8. Ohio Declaration of Election Results, Amendment 3 (1976)
9. Ohio Delegates for National Political Party Conventions, Amendment 7 (1975)
10. Ohio Delivery of Amendments to Voters, Amendment 4 (June 1980)
11. Ohio Election Day for County Officers, Amendment 3 (October 1885)
12. Ohio Election Day for Members of the General Assembly, Amendment 1 (October 1885)
13. Ohio Election Day for State Officers, Amendment 2 (October 1885)
14. Ohio Election of Appellate Judges, Amendment 3 (1987)
15. Ohio Election of Members of the Public Utilities Commission, Amendment 3 (1982)
16. Ohio Election of Militia Officers, Amendment 4 (1953)
17. Ohio Elections of Members of the General Assembly, Amendment 2 (October 1879)
18. Ohio Elections of State Officers, Amendment 3 (October 1879)
19. Ohio Elections of Township Trustees, Amendment 4 (October 1879)
20. Ohio Individual Voting for Candidates, Amendment 2 (1949)
21. Ohio Initiative Limitations, Amendment 4 (1915)
22. Ohio Joint Election of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Amendment 1 (June 1976)
23. Ohio Newspaper Notification of Proposed Amendments, Amendment 1 (1971)
24. Ohio Notice for Municipal Charters, Amendment 3 (1970)
25. Ohio Primary Elections, Amendment 26 (September 1912)
26. Ohio Qualifications for Casting a Presidential Vote, Amendment 2 (1957)
27. Ohio Qualifications for Holding Office, Amendment 3 (May 1973)
28. Ohio Qualifications of Electors, Amendment 4 (June 1976)
29. Ohio Rotation of Candidate Names on Ballots, Amendment 6 (1975)
30. Ohio Short Ballot for County and Township Officers, Amendment 2 (1913)
31. Ohio Short Ballot for State Officers, Amendment 1 (1913)
32. Ohio Short Term Elections for State Officer Vacancies, Amendment 2 (1969)
33. Ohio State Election Board, Amendment 5 (2005)
34. Ohio Terms of Office and Vacancies, Amendment 5 (June 1976)
35. Ohio Voter Residency Requirement, Amendment 2 (1970)
36. Ohio Voting Age, Amendment 1 (1969)
37. Ohio Voting Machine Use, Amendment 25 (September 1912)

Election policy legislation

The following is a list of recent election bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Ohio state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Ohio voting. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Voting in Ohio - Google News

See also

• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Ohio
• Redistricting in Ohio

Elections in Ohio

• Ohio elections, 2022
• Ohio elections, 2021
• Ohio elections, 2020
• Ohio elections, 2019
• Ohio elections, 2018
• Ohio elections, 2017
• Ohio elections, 2016
• Ohio elections, 2015
• Ohio elections, 2014

External links

• Ohio Secretary of State, Elections and Voting