Ohio residents can now request mail-in ballots for the November 5 election.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office this week mailed ballot applications to the state’s nearly 8 million registered voters, a common practice in even-numbered year elections. While the presidential election has drawn most of the attention, Ohio voters will also decide on local issues and candidates, state assembly races, State Issue 1, congressional elections and who holds a contested U.S. Senate seat.
LaRose urged voters to be careful of absentee ballot forms issued by third-party organizations rather than the state of Ohio. A sweeping election law that takes effect in 2023 will require Ohio residents to fill out a state-issued application if they want to vote by mail, which caused some problems in last August’s special election.
Click here to see what the Foreign Minister’s mailing looks like.
“As various groups and campaigns increase their communications with voters, every Ohioan should be vigilant when filling out forms that are not marked as official election mail or from Ohio’s trusted source of election information, voteohio.gov,” LaRose said.
How do I vote by mail in Ohio?
Postal voting for the November elections begins October 8To request a ballot, you must fill out the state form and provide a copy of your photo ID, driver’s license number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Applications for postal voting must be submitted by 29 October. Postal ballots must be postmarked by 4 November and to the district election committees no later than 9 November be counted.
Voters can also bring the completed ballot to their local polling station before the polls close on election night.
You can track your absentee ballot at voteohio.gov/track.
I have not received an application for postal voting. What should I do?
Ohio residents who have not received an absentee ballot application should check their voter registration status at voterlookup.ohiosos.gov.
You can also download the form at voteohio.gov.
How do I register to vote in Ohio?
Ohio residents can register to vote online at olvr.ohiosos.gov or by mailing a form to their county election office. In-person registration is available at election offices, BMV locations, public libraries, and several other locations.
You must provide:
- name
- address
- birth date
- Either 1) your Ohio driver’s license or state ID number or 2) the last four digits of your social security number.
Voters must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old, and have resided in Ohio for at least 30 days prior to the election.
The deadline to register for the November elections is October 7.
Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the Ohio Bureau of the USA TODAY Network, which covers the Columbus Dispatch, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
