This voter guide can help you to navigate the Nov. 5 general election, including information on how to vote and the names of the candidates that will appear on your ballot.
What's on Ohio ballots?
On Nov. 5, every voter in Ohio will be able to cast a ballot for a candidate in the U.S. presidential election, Ohio's U.S. Senate race, three Ohio Supreme Court seats and on the statewide citizen-initiated constitutional amendment, Issue 1. In addition to that, voters also face choices in U.S. House and state legislative races as well as local levies and questions.
To see what's on your ballot, follow the link for the county you live in and enter your address on the local board of elections’ website:
- Cuyahoga
- Summit
- Stark
- Ashland
- Ashtabula
- Carroll
- Columbiana
- Coshocton
- Erie
- Geauga
- Harrison
- Holmes
- Huron
- Knox
- Lake
- Lorain
- Mahoning
- Medina
- Portage
- Trumbull
- Tuscarawas
- Wayne
Don't see your county listed? Find it here.
Early voting
Early voting began Oct. 8 and includes the two Saturdays and the two Sundays before Election Day.
Early voting hours vary, depending on the date you plan to cast your vote:
- Oct. 8-11: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Oct. 14-18: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Oct. 21-25: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- Oct. 26: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Oct. 27: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
- Oct. 28: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
- Oct. 29: 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
- Oct. 30 - Nov. 1: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
- Nov. 2: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Nov. 3: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
You can find your early voting polling location by clicking on the county you live in on this map. Most are at your county's board of elections office.
Vote by mail
To vote by mail, you must request an absentee ballot or you may complete the application mailed to voters by the Ohio Secretary of State's office.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is seven days before the election, but election officials recommend applying for your absentee ballot well ahead of the deadline. Keep in mind the time it takes to deliver and process your application and for the board of elections to mail your ballot to you by Election Day on Nov. 5.
Absentee ballots are sent starting the first day of early voting on Oct. 8. You can see a sample of your ballot.
Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 4.
Each county has one ballot drop box located at the county board of elections office where ballots can be returned in person up until polls close at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
Voters must return their absentee ballots to the board of elections in the county in which they are registered.
You can track the status of your absentee ballot. If you believe your ballot may have been lost in the mail, contact your county board of elections. The board can mark an already mailed absentee ballot as void and send a new one.
In-person voting
Polls open in Ohio at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 5.
Your polling location varies depending on where you live, and it might not be the closest polling location to you. Find your official polling location on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.
You can prepare by viewing a sample of your ballot.
Do I need an ID?
Yes. The State of Ohio requires voters bring an acceptable form of identification to the polls in order to vote. Acceptable forms of ID must include an expiration date that has not passed, a photo of the voter and 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. Several types of acceptable ID include:
- Ohio driver's 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;
- Ohio National Guard ID card; or
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card
As of April 7, 2023, Ohioans who are 17 years and older can receive a state ID card at no cost from the BMV.
If you do not bring an acceptable form of ID or if your eligibility is in question, you can still vote using a provisional ballot. Voting provisionally simply means election officials need to double-check your eligibility. To do so, you must visit your county's board of elections within four days after Election Day to provide identification so your vote can be counted in the final election totals.
Election officials are also required to attempt to contact voters by mail, phone or email to resolve any issues with their ballots.
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.
For in-person voting, all polling places must have at least one accessible voting machine available for people with disabilities, such as visually impaired voters, according to federal law.
What if I'm in the hospital?
If you or your minor child are 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 are 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 who shall deliver the ballot to you in the hospital and return your voted ballot to the board office.
Visit the Secretary of State's website to complete a Hospitalized Absentee Ballot Request Form.
Am I registered to vote?
The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 5 general election was Oct. 7. Check here to see if you are registered. If you register or update your information after the deadline, the change will apply for the next election.
