Local election boards will mail out ballots after the April 3 deadline to register to vote in the primary. Early voting starts April 4. Voted ballots can be dropped off in person at your board of elections or mailed.
New changes to Ohio election law going into effect for this election require anyone voting in-person, whether on Election Day or early at their local board of election, to have valid photo ID. Photo ID is not required for voting absentee.
Elections officials urge voters wanting to vote by mail to submit requests for ballots as soon as possible to allow time for the request to get to the elections board, the ballot to get to the voter and the voted ballot to get back to the elections board.
Absentee ballots returned by U.S. Mail must be postmarked no later than May 1 and received by boards of elections by May 6 to be counted.
The deadline in Ohio law to request an absentee ballot is April 25; applications must be received by your board of elections by 8:30 p.m. that day.
Ohio law doesn’t allow voters to request absentee ballots online. But you can download and print out an absentee ballot request form at www.voteohio.gov. You can also call your local elections board to request one be mailed to you. Here is a list of phone numbers for Ohio elections boards.
Early in-person voting at local elections offices starts Tuesday, April 4, and runs through April 30. See specified times for each week of early voting here.
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