How to vote in Ohio's May 6 primary election

This voter guide can help you to navigate the May 6 primary election, including information on what Issue 2 is and what else you need to know, including levies and names for candidates in local races on your ballot.

On May 6, voters across Ohio will decide a single, statewide constitutional amendment.

Issue 2 is a renewal of the State Capital Improvements Program, a 40-year-old initiative that allows the state to issue bonds to pay for public improvements. The renewal includes an increase in borrowing authority to up to $2.5 billion over 10 years.

Issue 2 won’t raise taxes and would benefit every community across the state, regardless of size, said Scott Coleman, a Logan County Engineer, who is part of Strong Ohio Communities Coalition, a group campaigning for the renewal of the bond program.

Supporters say the funds can only be used for roads, bridges and water projects and not for a professional sports facility.

There's no official, organized opposition to Issue 2. But five conservative Republican lawmakers voted against putting it on the ballot in December.

The money to pay back the bonds is already built into the state budget. Critics have said they think these projects should be in the capital budget, which comes from sales, income and other taxes that create the state’s general revenue fund. Or they suggest the transportation budget, which is funded by gas taxes, which were raised in 2019.

But the Ohio Department of Transportation has said that money isn’t going as far as it used to because of rising costs and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

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:

• Ashland
• Ashtabula
• Carroll
• Columbiana
• Coshocton
• Cuyahoga
• Erie
• Geauga
• Harrison
• Holmes
• Huron
• Knox
• Lake
• Lorain
• Mahoning
• Medina
• Portage
• Summit
• Stark
• Trumbull
• Tuscarawas
• Wayne

Don't see your county listed? Find it here.

Early voting began Apr. 8 and includes the Saturday and the Sunday before Election Day.

Early voting hours vary, depending on the date you plan to cast your vote:

• April 8-11: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
• April 14-18: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
• April 21-25: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
• April 28: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
• April 29: 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
• April 30 - May 2: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
• May 3: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• May 4: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 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.

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 one well ahead of the deadline, due to the time it takes to deliver and process an application, then send the ballot.

Absentee ballots are sent starting the first day of early voting on Apr. 8. Click here to see a sample of your ballot.

Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by May 5.

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.

Polls open in Ohio at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. on May 6.

You can prepare by viewing a sample of your ballot.

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.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections recommends that all in-person voters check their polling location ahead of the election.

The BOE has announced a number of changes to polling locations across the county, including changes in Cleveland, Lakewood, Maple Heights, South Euclid, North Royalton and Warrensville Heights.

A third of Cleveland voters will have new polling locations for this primary.

The Cuyahoga County BOE said it notified those affected by mail.

Government & Politics

Upheaval for Cleveland voters? Nearly 30% will have new polling locations for May primary

Abbey Marshall

As Cleveland’s ward boundaries shift, nearly 30% of voters will now have different polling locations than in the most recent election.

Listen • 0:57

Yes. The State of Ohio requires voters bring an acceptable form of identification to the polls 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 who do not have a valid driver's license 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 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.

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.

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 unforeseen 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.

The deadline to register to vote in the May 6 primary election was April 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.

Karen Kasler contributed to this report.