Where do I vote on Election Day?
Election Day voters will cast their ballots at the designated polling location for their precinct. The polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. If you do not know where your polling location is, you may call the Board of Elections at (937)440-3900 or use the polling place search.
How do I cast my ballot?
Instructions for casting your ballot are posted in each polling place. If you have any questions about how to mark or cast your ballot, or if you have incorrectly marked a ballot, immediately contact a precinct election official (poll worker) for instructions before you continue.
May I receive assistance in voting?
A voter with a physical or mental disability, or a voter who is unable to read or write, may be assisted by anyone of the voter’s choice, except a candidate whose candidacy is being voted on in that precinct, the voter’s employer or the employer’s agent, or an officer or agent of the voter’s union. A voter may also be assisted by two poll workers (each of a different political party). No one who assists a voter may disclose any information about how that person voted.
In a primary election, how do I establish which political party’s ballot I am entitled to vote?
You may vote the primary ballot of the political party with which you currently wish to be affiliated.
May I vote on ballot issues at a primary election without declaring my party affiliation?
Yes. You may vote on the issues and questions, if any, to be voted on in your precinct by requesting an “issues-only” ballot.
Will I need an ID to Vote?
Yes. All voters must bring acceptable identification to the polls in order to verify their identity.
VOTER IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS / TYPES OF VALID ID
There are several types of valid photo identification.
- Ohio driver’s license;
- State of Ohio ID card;
- Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV;
- A US passport;
- A US passport card;
- US military ID card;
- Ohio National Guard ID card; or
- US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card
All photo IDs must have the following:
- An expiration date that has not passed;
- A photograph of the voter;
- 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
NOTICE: An unexpired Ohio Driver License, State ID Card, or Interim Documentation with your former address IS an ACCEPTABLE form of ID when your current address is in the pollbook.
The BMV issues Ohio Interim Documentation until the applicant receives their new ID through the mail. A driver’s license or state identification card in the old or new format, the Ohio Interim Documentation, and a voter’s old, hole-punched driver’s license or state ID card are acceptable forms of identification for voting, as long as the expiration date has not passed.
If the voter changed their name and provides proof of the legal name change, completes and signs Form 10-L, and is registered within the precinct, the voter’s name on the photo ID may be different from the voter’s reported change of name.
REMEMBER: A voter who moves within the precinct (and completes a Voter Registration Form) or provides proof of legal name change (and completes Form 10-L) votes a regular ballot.
UNACCEPTABLE TYPES OF ID
Ohio law prohibits acceptance of the following forms of ID:
- Driver’s license or photo identification card issued by a state other than Ohio;
- Social Security card;
- Birth certificate;
- Insurance card;
- Utility bill;
- Bank statement;
- Government check;
- Paycheck;
- Other government document; or
- Any registration acknowledgment notice from the county board of elections.
PROVISIONAL BALLOTS
If you do not have any of the above forms of identification, you may cast a provisional ballot.
If you do not provide one of the above forms of photo ID, you will still be able to vote using a provisional ballot. However, for that ballot to be counted, you must return to the board of elections no later than four days following Election Day to provide a qualifying form of identification. If you do not have a photo ID because of a religious objection to being photographed, you may complete an affidavit of religious objection and have your provisional ballot count.
Follow this link for more information on provisional ballots.