Frequently Asked Questions
What are the dates I need to know for 2026?
2026 Election Dates
October 5, 2026 Deadline to register to vote in November 2026 election
October 6, 2026 Early Voting begins
October 6 – October 9, 2026 Early Vote locations open 8AM – 5PM
October 12 – October 16, 2026 Early Vote locations open 8AM – 5PM
October 19 – October 23, 2026 Early Vote locations open 8AM – 5PM
October 24, 2025 Early Vote locations open 8AM – 4PM
October 26, 2026 Early Vote locations open 7:30AM – 7:30PM
October 27, 2026 Early Vote locations open 7:30AM – 8:30PM
- Absentee ballot applications due by 8:30 PM. Due to unexpected delays, we recommend requesting and returning your absentee ballot ASAP
October 28, 2026 Early Vote locations open 7:30AM – 7:30PM
October 29, 2026 Early Vote locations open 7:30AM – 7:30PM
October 30, 2026 Early Vote locations open 7:30AM – 7:30PM
October 31, 2026 Early Vote locations open 8AM – 4PM
November 1, 2026 Early Vote locations open 1PM – 5PM
November 3, 2026 It’s Election Day! Polls are open from 6:30AM – 7:30PM.
- Absentee Ballots MUST be dropped off directly at your local board of elections by 7:30PM
Do I need to show ID to vote?
Yes. When you vote in person in Ohio, the only item you need to bring with you is an unexpired form of identification with containing your name and photo.
Bring one of the following to your polling place:
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A valid Ohio driver license or state ID card
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A U.S. passport or passport card
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A military dependent ID, Ohio National Guard ID, or Department of Veterans Affairs ID
There are other identification considerations, such as name changes, religious objection, or lack of photo ID, that require you to vote with a provisional ballot.
I’m being denied from voting. Help!
Call the Election Protection hotline at 866-Our-Vote. This non-partisan team of legal experts will help you navigate election law.
I’m disabled and having trouble getting into my polling location. Help!
Call the Disability Rights Ohio hotline at 800-282-9181. You may also be able to send someone in to the polling location to ask poll workers to assist with stairs or wheelchair access.
Where is my neighborhood polling place?
I got a mail-in ballot (an absentee ballot) and haven’t sent it back in. What should I do with it?
Deliver it to the county board of elections ballot box before 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots must be mailed before election day. Ballots cannot be turned in to neighborhood polling locations.
I returned my ballot already. Did they get it?
What’s a provisional ballot?
When you complete a provisional ballot, county board of elections officials will look at your registration, review your absentee ballot request, and confirm you didn’t cast a ballot already. Then, provided you’ve done everything right, it gets counted. Get it? “Provided…” “Provisional…” It’s a real ballot that gets counted later, but you want to vote using a normal ballot if you can.
I have since moved. Do I need to update my registration before requesting my ballot?
If you have moved within the same precinct but did not update your registration address before the voter registration deadline, you may vote a regular ballot at your regular polling location after completing a voter registration form to update your address. If you moved to a different precinct or county, you can vote a provisional ballot at the polling place in the precinct where you now reside.
I changed my name since the last election. Can I still vote?
Yes. Bring your new ID to your polling location and complete a name change form to update your voter registration and use a provisional ballot.
I just got rushed to the hospital. Can I still vote?
Yes! Contact your county board of elections immediately. If you or your minor child is 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 is 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 – your spouse, father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother, sister, son, daughter, adopted parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece – who shall deliver the ballot to you in the hospital and return your voted ballot to the board office. You can find the Hospitalized Absentee Ballot Request Form here.
