Voting

A person who is a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age on or before the day of the election, a resident of the state for 30 days before the election and registered at least 30 days before the election is qualified to vote in Ohio.

 

The Ohio Constitution requires registration with the state in order to vote. You can register at your county Board of Elections or designated branch offices established by the Board of Elections, the Office of the Secretary of State or other designated state agency offices, any branch of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, any public library, public high school, or vocational school, or any county treasurer’s office. You may also register through the mail.

 

Voters who move or change names must report those changes to their local Board of Elections.

 

Anyone can vote by an absentee ballot.

You may request an absentee ballot by mail from the Board of Elections after January 1 until the day before the election. Or you may appear in person at the Board of Elections during the absentee voting period.

 

If you serve in the U.S. armed services, you, your spouse and your dependents who move to be with or near you may vote by armed services voter’s ballot. You may apply for ballots anytime after January 1 of the year of the election by writing, faxing or appearing before your Board of Elections.

 

If you live overseas, contact the American embassy, consulate or military installation in the country where you are residing regarding registering to vote overseas and voting absentee.

 

If your name does not appear on the voter registration roll when you arrive at your polling place, you may vote by provisional ballot. The ballot will be counted when your eligibility is verified. You may find out if your ballot was counted by calling 1-866-644-6868.

 

The Ohio Constitution requires office-type ballots. The names of all candidates are arranged in a group under the title of the office they seek and names are rotated so that each one appears an equal number of times at the beginning, the end and in intermediate positions. The party name or designation is printed under or after each candidate’s name.

 

Candidates for judge, boards of education and most municipal or township offices appear on a nonpartisan ballot.

 

It is not possible to vote a straight party ticket by marking only one X for all candidates in one party.

 

Issues on the ballot should be marked “for” or “against.”

 

The Ohio Ballot Board words all statewide ballot issues including constitutional amendments, citizen-initiated laws and referenda. Ballot language, explanations, and pro and con arguments for each statewide issue are published for three weeks prior to the election in a newspaper of general circulation in each county in the state.

 

Your county Board of Elections will assign you to a voting location based on your voter registration address. Voting locations are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the day of an election.

 

When you enter the polling place, you’ll give your name and address to an election judge and sign your name to the poll list. If you can’t sign your name in the registration book, you may make a mark to represent your name.  You may be asked to show identiication.  The form of identification that you may use includes your current and valid photo identification card, military identification, 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.) If you do not have, or fail or refuse to provide, the required proof of identity, you may cast a provisional ballot

 

Assistance is available to physically and mentally disabled voters or illiterate voters, or these voters may receive help from a person of their choice as long as it is not an employer or union official. Voting facilities need to ensure voting accessibility to all voters and must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

 

You will not be able to occupy a booth for more than five minutes when all booths are in use and people are waiting to vote.

 

If you make an error on your ballot, the voting system will notify you and you can verify your vote and correct the error if necessary.

 

No campaign literature may be displayed or distributed within 100 feet of polling places. But you can take a list of chosen candidates in to the polling place with you if you choose.

 

You may be challenged on the grounds of age, citizenship, residence, or a charge of having already voted by a judge of elections, designated challenger or any other voter who is lawfully in the polling place.