Ohio Primary: voter deadlines, important dates, points of contact – The Ohio Primary is Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. You may cast your ballot in your precinct at your designated polling place between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. If you don’t know the location of your precinct polling place, contact the board of elections in your county. Information for Mahoning and Trumbull counties appear below.
Voter information
Ohio Secretary of State. 22 N. 4th St., Columbus 43215. 1-877-767-6446. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.
- Website: www.sos.state.oh.us…
- Elections and voting: www.sos.state.oh.us…
- Voter registration: olvr.ohiosos.gov…
On the Ohio Secretary of State website, voters can check their polling place and precinct and get other important voting information. Ohio voters can check their voter-registration status, find their polling location, view a sample ballot and track their absentee ballot. The Secretary of State also lists necessary voting information, including voter requirements and deadlines, Ohio candidates and an election calendar.
Mahoning County Board of Elections. 345 Oak Hill Ave., Entrance A, Youngstown, Ohio 44502. Phone: 330-783-2474. Fax: 330-783-2801. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Website: vote.mahoningcountyoh.gov….
The Mahoning County Board of Elections is an early-voting location. The Board of Elections offers voting locations and schedules, voter-registration information, sample ballots and ballot drop-box information. You can register to vote at the Mahoning County Board of Elections during business hours. To register, to see if you’re on the voting rolls and to find your polling location in Youngstown and Mahoning County, visit here.
- Voter registration search
- Online voter registration
- Register to vote
- Locate your polling location
Trumbull County Board of Elections. 2947 Youngstown Road, S.E., Warren, Ohio 44484. Phone: 330-369-4050. Fax: 330-369-4160. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Website: boe.co.trumbull.oh.gov….
- Voter registration search
- Online voter registration
- Register to vote
- Locate your polling location
The Trumbull County Board of Elections is an early-voting location. You can register to vote at the Trumbull County Board of Elections during business hours. To register to vote, to see if you’re on the voting rolls and to find your polling location in Warren and Trumbull County, visit here.
Deadlines, important dates
- Election Day (Ohio Primary): Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
- The deadline to register to vote is Monday, April 3. Boards of elections are open until 9 p.m.
- Military and overseas absentee voting begins Friday, March 17.
- Early in-person voting begins Tuesday, April 4 and includes the Saturday and Sunday before the Ohio Primary. Early in-person voting occurs 8 a.m.-5 p.m., April 4-7, 10-14, 17-21; 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., April 24-28; 8 a.m.-4 p.m., April 29; and 1-5 p.m., Sunday, April 30.
- Absentee voting by Mail begins April 4 and ends Monday, May 1. (Absentee ballots may be returned by mail or personally delivered to your county board of elections.)
- Absentee ballot applications deadline: applications must be received by your board of elections by 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 25.
- Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by this date: Monday, May 1.
- Absentee ballots may be returned by Mail or personally delivered to your county Board of Elections. If not returned by Mail, absentee ballots must be received by your Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 2.
- Last day for boards to receive mail-in ballots that have been postmarked on or before May 1: Saturday, May 6.
Other registration deadlines:
- July 10, 2023 for the Aug. 8, 2023 Special Election.
- Oct. 10, 2023 for the Nov. 7, 2023 General Election.
What are the qualifications to register and vote in Ohio?
You are qualified to register to vote in Ohio if you meet all the following requirements:
- You are a citizen of the United States;
- You will be at least 18 years old on or before the day of the next general election. (If you will be 18 on or before the general election, you may vote in the primary election to nominate candidates, but you cannot vote on issues or party central committees until you are 18);
- You will be a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election in which you want to vote;
- You are not incarcerated (in prison or jail) for a felony conviction under the laws of this state (Ohio), another state, or the United States;
- You have not been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court; and
- You have not been permanently disenfranchised for violating the election laws.
You are eligible to vote in elections held in your voting precinct 30 days after you are duly registered to vote in this state. You may request an absentee ballot during that 30 day period.
How to register to vote
You may obtain a voter registration form, and register to vote in person at any of the following locations:
- The office of the Secretary of State.
- The office of any of the 88 county boards of elections.
- The office of the registrar or any deputy registrar of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
- Public libraries.
- Public high schools or vocational schools.
- County treasurers’ offices.
- Offices of designated agencies, including:
- The Department of Job and Family Services.
- The Department of Health (including the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program).
- The Department of Mental Health.
- The Department of Developmental Disabilities.
- Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities.
- The office of any state-assisted college or university responsible for providing assistance to students with disabilities.
When you have completed your voter registration form, review it carefully for completeness and accuracy. You may either personally deliver, or send by U.S. Mail, your voter registration form to a county board of elections or the Secretary of State’s office. You, or another person acting on your behalf, also may deliver your application to one of the offices listed above, but you should ensure your application reaches the office of a board of elections or the Secretary of State no later than the voter registration deadline, the 30th day before the election at which you want to vote.
Voter identification requirements (types of valid I.D.)
Ohio law requires that every voter, upon appearing at the polling place to vote on Election Day, must announce his or her full name and current address and provide proof of identity.
There are several types of valid photo identification.
- Ohio driver’s license.
- State of Ohio I.D. card.
- Interim I.D. form issued by the Ohio BMV.
- A U.S. passport.
- A U.S. passport card.
- U.S. military I.D. card.
- Ohio National Guard I.D. card.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs I.D. card.
All photo I.D.s 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.
An unexpired Ohio Driver License, State I.D. Card, or Interim Documentation with your former address is an acceptable form of I.D. when your current address is in the poll book.
The BMV issues Ohio Interim Documentation until the applicant receives their new I.D. 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 I.D. 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 I.D. may be different from the voter’s reported change of name.
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 identification
Ohio law prohibits acceptance of the following forms of I.D.:
- 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.
- 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 I.D., 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 I.D. 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.
Steps to request and vote an absentee ballot
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- Complete the absentee ballot request form.
- Once you have completed your application by providing all of the required information print and sign it.
- Mail the request form back to your own county board of elections. Board mailing addresses are available at OhioSoS.gov…
- Wait to receive your ballot in the mail from your county board of elections. If you have questions about your absentee ballot request, you should call your county board of elections or you can track the status of your ballot request as well as your voted absentee ballot through the Voter Toolkit.
- Return your voted ballot.
- If you return your absentee ballot by mail, it must be postmarked no later than the day before Election Day and received by your county board of elections no later than four days after the election. By state law, a postmark does not include a date marked by a postage evidence system such as a postage meter. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) estimates that it may take two to five days for your voted absentee ballot to be delivered to your board of elections by mail.
- If you are returning your voted ballot by mail during the week before Election Day, you should take it to USPS no later than the day before Election Day and ensure it receives a postmark as follows:
- If you use a postage label purchased at a USPS customer service window or vending machine, the date on the label is the postmark. This is the USPS-recommended way to postmark your ballot.
- If you use postage stamps, ask that it be postmarked.
You should not use a postage meter or an online service (such as stamps.com…) to affix postage. It is your responsibility to make sure the ballot has enough postage.
- If you return your ballot to the board in person, or if a near relative delivers it for you, the board of elections must receive your ballot no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. (Near relative includes the voter’s spouse or the voter’s 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.)
- If you are a member of the uniformed services or a voter outside of the United States, ballots must be received by the fourth day after the election. Sign your identification envelope by the close of polls on Election Day or return in person by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
If you do not vote your absentee ballot and instead decide to go to your assigned polling place on Election Day, you must vote a provisional ballot.
Note: No voted ballot may be returned to a board of elections by fax or e-mail. If a voted ballot is returned by fax or e-mail, it will not be accepted, processed, or counted.
Information via the Ohio Secretary of State, Mahoning and Trumbull County Board of Elections.
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