Ohio’s 2026 General Election is TODAY, Tuesday, Nov. 3rd!

Remember to vote the WHOLE ballot! Local officeholders have a direct impact on our lives.

Official Ohio Voting Website:

VoteOhio.gov

WHERE To Vote:

Find Your Election Day Polling Place: Https://www.OhioSoS.Gov/Directories/Find-My-Polling-Location

WHEN To Vote:

Voting Hours: Polls will be open in Ohio TODAY from 6:30 am until 7:30 pm

What’s On My Ballot?

See your official sample ballot — https://www.ohiosos.gov/directories/sample-ballot
See what’s on your personal ballot – Vote411.org/ballot
Innovation Ohio voter guide – OhioVoterGuide.com
Education-focused voter guide – PeopleUnitedForPublicSchools.com

What to bring with you:

A valid, current (not expired) form of ID, such as your driver’s license, state ID, military ID, or passport
You can wear anything you’d like EXCEPT clothes/hats/buttons that support a certain candidate or issue

Absentee Voting / Mail-in Voting:

Still have your ballot? Take it to your county Board of Elections (BOE) by 7:30 pm TONIGHT!
- A close relative can take your ballot for you, but they’ll need to go inside the BOE instead of using the drop box out front
Your other option is to vote in-person at your Election Day polling place. BUT you’ll likely need to vote provisionally.
Track your ballot — VoteOhio.gov/Track

Problems voting? Questions about voting? Call OR text these hotlines:

National Election Protection Hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
- https://866ourvote.org/
- Run by a nonpartisan national org, but with Ohio volunteers
- Promoted by nonpartisan Ohio orgs like Common Cause, League of Women Voters, ACLU, and Ohio Voter Rights Coalition
Ohio Voter Assistance Hotline: 1-844-OH-I-VOTE (844-644-8683)
- https://iwillvote.com/ohio
- Run by the Ohio Democratic Party, but nonpartisan and available to all voters
- Entirely based in Ohio and focused on Ohio voting laws

Voter Info Graphics to Download / Share:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15a4aH-iFloD2gNGyQ_p6KW6_1gWoWtxK?usp=drive_link
These graphics have been checked by Ohio election protection attorneys!

Ohio’s New Voting Laws:

LWVO: “Ohio’s new election laws”
Slideshow — Ohio Election 2026 Info Training

How to “cure” your ballot if you’re forced to vote provisionally:

“Ballot curing” is when a voter corrects an issue with their ballot, so it can be counted

Some reasons you may need to vote provisionally

How to make sure your provisional ballot is counted

IMPORTANT: When voting provisionally, make sure you fill out all forms and envelopes carefully! If you miss one thing (such as your date of birth) your vote might not be counted.

IF you voted provisionally because you didn’t have proper ID, take proper ID to your county Board of Elections by Saturday 11/7 at 5:00 pm!

IF you voted provisionally because you couldn’t provide proof of your legal name change, take proof of your name change to your county Board of Elections by Saturday 11/7 at 5:00 pm!

IF you voted provisionally because your ballot never arrived / you decided to vote in-person instead, you should not need to take any further steps! Your ballot will count (as long as you showed proper ID when you voted. Confirm with the poll workers at your polling place)

Learn more about provisional voting in Ohio

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

Does the address on my ID need to match the address where I’m registered to vote?
- NO! As long as your ID is valid and current (not expired), the address on your ID does NOT need to match the address where you’re registered to vote
Can we provide food and water to people waiting in long voting lines?
- The answer for Ohio is a bit unclear, but the law seems to state that:
  - You CAN provide food and drink, as long as you stand more than 100 feet from the polling place, and as long as you stand at least 10 feet from the voters in line.
  - See a long voting line? Send pizza to the polls in your area!
  - BUT you CANNOT provide food or drink (or anything that could be seen as a “bribe”) to voters inside the 100-foot neutral zone around each polling location.
- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-3501.35
- https://tinyurl.com/2j4u3754
- “Jonathan Entin, professor emeritus of the Case Western School of Law, said there’s nothing in recent election law that covers anything regarding the providing of food and drink to people in line at polling places.”
Can someone else take my absentee ballot to the county Board of Election?
- YES. A close relative can return your ballot to the county Board of Elections for you. BUT they will need to go inside the building. They can’t use the ballot drop box.
- “Close relative” includes:
  - Father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother, or sister of the whole or half blood, or the son, daughter, adopting parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece
Can I take my absentee ballot to my Election Day polling place?
- NO! You must take it to your county Board of Elections
- Your other option is to vote in-person at your Election Day polling place. BUT you’ll likely need to vote provisionally.
Can I still mail my absentee ballot?
- NO! Nearly all absentee ballots must be RECEIVED by the county Board of Elections by TONIGHT at 7:30 pm
- Your other option is to vote in-person at your Election Day polling place. BUT you’ll likely need to vote provisionally.
Do ballots from overseas voters also need to arrive by 7:30 pm on Election Day?
- No. Those voters have a 4-day grace period after Election Day (so, this year, overseas ballots must arrive by Saturday 11/7/26)
What if my absentee/mail-in ballot never arrived? Or I lost my ballot?
- You can still vote! Go vote in-person at your Election Day polling place (you may need to vote provisionally)
What if you forgot to update your voter registration after you moved?
- You can still vote! Just go vote provisionally on Election Day at the polling location for your NEW address
- Voters should always vote based on where they live now.
Will anyone know who I voted for?
- NO! People will be able to see whether you or not you voted, but WHO you vote for is completely private. No one will know unless you tell them.
Is there a way to change your vote if you voted early and now regret someone you voted for?
- No, once you’ve voted, you’ve voted.
- HOWEVER if you filled out an absentee ballot but haven’t returned the ballot yet, you can switch to in-person voting instead of returning that ballot. You may need to vote provisionally.
This year’s ballot cure deadline is Saturday, November 7th. What are the Boards of Elections (BOE) hours that day?
- The BOEs are open on Saturday 11/7 from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm unless they simply do not have enough ballots to cure.

Some of our favorite credible sources of Ohio voting information:

Some of our favorite news outlets with especially strong state and local coverage:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1giFKe6_zDLn2mYznXSM0KPSLOToYHdXaGb2LrVECsdQ/edit?usp=sharing
Not all of these require subscriptions, but they are worth a subscription if necessary!

Have a question about this document? Or want to add a resource? Email Rachel Coyle@StateActionInitiative.com

Rachel Coyle

RESOURCES — Ohio Election 2026