Ohio Nov. 7 election: Deadline to register to vote is tomorrow, early voting begins Wednesday

Sydney Dawes, Springfield News-Sun, Ohio
·5 min read

Oct. 9—The deadline to register to vote or update voter registration for the Nov. 7 election is Tuesday, with early voting beginning the next day.

Polling locations will open across the state at 6:30 a.m. on Election Day and stay open until 7:30 p.m. Ohio voters can also cast a ballot early, either in person or by mail.

Voters can check or update their voter registration online, by mail or in-person at their local election board.

Here's what voters should know heading into the fall election season:

Photo ID requirements

Voters wanting to cast a ballot in-person should make sure they bring a valid photo ID to the polls to comply with voter ID laws that went into effect this year.

Valid forms of identification include a non-expired Ohio driver license or a U.S. passport; invalid forms of identification include out-of-state driver licenses and Social Security cards. The complete list can be found at the Secretary of State website.

Ohio in April began issuing free state ID cards to people 17 and older. In order to obtain a state ID card, applicants must provide proof of their full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, citizenship and Ohio street address.

Ohioans can still cast a ballot without a photo ID — they just have to vote absentee. People can both register to vote and vote by mail using only the last four digits of their Social Security number.

How to vote

Early in-person voting: County election boards are open to voters starting on Wednesday through the Saturday and Sunday before Election Day.

Here's the early voting schedule:

Oct. 11-13: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oct. 16-20: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oct. 23-27: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oct. 30: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 31: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Nov. 1-3: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 4: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Nov. 5: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Absentee ballots: Those wanting to vote by mail should fill out an absentee ballot application. That application can be dropped off at or mailed to a local county board of elections office. This form must be received by the seventh day before Election Day; during this election, that would be Oct. 31, end of day.

Election board workers will then send off an absentee ballot to the applicant's address. The voter can return the completed absentee ballot by mail, and it must be postmarked no later than the day before Election Day and received by your county board of elections no later than four days after the election.

Voters can also return their absentee ballots to their election board in person, or a near relative can deliver it on their behalf. The board of elections must receive the ballot no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

Election Day: Voters can confirm their polling locations at VoterLookup.OhioSoS.gov.

Two state issues

The Nov. 7 election will feature two statewide issues, as well as local levies and contested races.

Issue 1 is a citizen-initiated amendment that would, among other things, grant all "individuals" the right of reproductive autonomy. Issue 1 would also block the state from interfering with any reproductive decisions or penalizing Ohioans for making or aiding those decisions. A "yes" vote is in approval of the initiative, while a "no" vote is in rejection of the initiative. Read more about Issue 1 here.

Issue 2 would legalize recreational marijuana use for adults 21 years old or older, legalize home cultivation of a limited amount of marijuana plants and regulate the recreational industry. A "yes" vote is in approval of the initiative, while a "no" vote is in rejection of the initiative. Learn more about the issue here.

Contacting election boards

Butler County

1802 Princeton Road, Suite 600, Hamilton, OH 45011. Office Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (513) 887-3700 Fax: (513) 887-5535. E-mail: butler@OhioSoS.gov. Website: elections.bcohio.gov

Champaign County

1512 S. U.S. 68, Suite L100, Urbana, OH 43078. Office Hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (937) 484-1575 Fax: (937) 484-1578. E-mail: champaig@OhioSoS.gov. Website: www.boe.ohio.gov/champaign/

Clark County

3130 E. Main St., Springfield, OH 45505. Mailing Address: PO Box 1766 Springfield, OH 45501-1766. Office Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (937) 521-2120 Fax: (937) 328-2603. E-mail: elections@clark.boe.ohio.gov. Website: www.boe.ohio.gov/clark/

Greene County

551 Ledbetter Road, Xenia, OH 45385. Office Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (937) 562-6170 Fax: (937) 562-6171. E-mail: greene@OhioSoS.gov. Website: www.greene.boe.ohio.gov

Miami County

215 W. Main St., Troy, OH 45373. Office Hours: 8 a.m-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (937) 440-3900 Fax: (937) 440-3901. E-mail: miami@OhioSoS.gov. Website: www.boe.ohio.gov/miami/

Montgomery County

451 W. Third St. Dayton, OH 45422. Office Hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (937) 225-5656 Fax: (937) 496-7798. E-mail: web@montgomery.boe.ohio.gov. Website: www.montgomery.boe.ohio.gov

Warren County

520 Justice Dr., Lebanon, OH 45036. Office Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (513) 695-1358 Fax: (513) 695-2953. E-mail: wcboe@warrencountyohio.gov. Website: vote.warrencountyohio.gov