Voting Rights Center

Make your voice heard by making your vote count!

With Equitas Health’s Voting Rights Center, you can make sure that you’re ready to cast your ballot on – or even before – Election Day.

Whether you decide to vote early, by mail, or in-person on Election Day, you can find all of the info you need right here!

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Are you registered to vote?

If you are not registered to vote in the state of Ohio, click here to register online today

In order to register online, you will need your:

• Ohio driver’s license or ID card,
• Name,
• Date of birth,
• Address, and
• Last 4 digits of your Social Security number.

That’s it!

Don’t have an Ohio ID?

No problem! You don’t need an Ohio ID to register to vote in the state, but unfortunately, you can’t register online without one. If you don’t have an Ohio ID, click here to print and complete the Ohio voter registration form. Afterwards, mail it to or drop it off at your county’s Board of Elections.

Is it too late to register?

The deadline to vote in the May 2, 2023 Primary and Special Election was April 3, 2023. The deadline to vote in the August 8, 2023 Special Election is July 10, 2023. And finally, the deadline to vote in November 7, 2023 General Election is October 10, 2023.

Not sure if you are registered?

Look up your voter registration here.

Need to update your voter registration info?

If you have moved or recently changed your name, click here to update your voter registration.

Voting in an Upcoming Election

You can vote at your local polling place on Election Day, and you can learn about the polling hours here. But there are also other ways to vote in upcoming elections.

Voting Early

You don’t have to wait until Election Day to cast your vote. You can vote early and in-person for elections in Ohio

• To learn where you can vote early, click here.
• To learn when you can vote early, click here.

Voting by Mail

If your registration is up-to-date, you can ask for an absentee ballot to vote by mail. There are many benefits to voting by mail:

• You can vote early;
• You don’t have to leave home;
• You can avoid lines on Election Day; and
• Absentee ballots are the first votes counted on Election Night!

To learn more about voting by mail and to request your absentee ballot, click here.
To learn more about when you can vote by mail, click here.

What’s on the ballot this election?

To learn what will be on the ballot when you vote in this election, click here.
You will need to know the county where you are registered to vote to view your sample ballot.

If your sample ballot is not yet available, please contact your county’s Board of Elections.

Thank you for making your voice heard and your vote count!

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Do I need an ID to vote?

You must present a valid ID in order to vote in-person. In early 2023, Ohio changed the types of valid ID to vote in-person. The updated list now includes the following: an Ohio ID, a US passport, a military ID, and more. For a list of the types of ID that you can use to vote in-person in Ohio, click here.

Voters without a valid Ohio ID can vote by mail with the last four digits of their Social Security Number as identification. To learn more about voting by mail and to request your absentee ballot, click here.

What if my ID doesn’t match my appearance?

That doesn’t matter! The name and address on your ID are the only things that must match the information on the voter roll. You are still allowed to vote.

• Your gender expression and/or legal sex does not need to match what is on your ID.
• You may not be denied the right to vote for any differences between your gender expression (including hairstyle, make-up, clothing, etc.) and/or the legal sex listed on your ID.
• If a poll worker tells you that you cannot vote because of this, provide them with this info sheet from the National Center for Transgender Equality’s Voting While Trans Guide (available in English and en Español).

What if someone tells me that I cannot vote?

Don’t leave!

• Ask the poll worker to double check the spelling of your name. If your name is still not on the list of registered voters, ask if there’s a supplemental list of voters. If there is, ask them to check that roll.
• If the poll worker still cannot find your name on the list, ask if they can help you confirm whether or not you’re at the correct polling place.
• If you still cannot cast a regular ballot, ask for a provisional ballot. Be sure to get any follow-up instructions for making sure that your provisional ballot is counted.
• Many polling locations also have volunteer lawyers who can help. Ask a poll worker if a volunteer lawyer is present, so they can provide you with resources.
• Call the National Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español) to let them know what happened.

What should transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive voters know about their rights?

As mentioned above, you cannot be denied the right to vote because an ID does not match your appearance. Resources are available from the National Center for Transgender Equality’s Voting While Trans Guide and from the ACLU of Ohio.

• You cannot be turned away simply because you identify as transgender, non-binary, and/or gender expansive.

What should college students know about their voting rights?

Out-of-state college students, who meet Ohio’s residency requirements, are still allowed to register to vote in Ohio. More information on college students’ voting rights is available from Rock The Vote.

• To do so, you must fill out a new voter registration form by the voter registration deadline. You should use your on-campus (i.e. dormitory, apartment, etc.) address when doing so.
• Ohio recently changed the types of ID that are needed to vote in-person in Ohio. As noted by the ACLU of Ohio, voters without a valid Ohio ID – including out-of-state college students – can vote by mail with the last four digits of their Social Security Number as identification.
• If you’re an out-of-state college student in Ohio and you want to vote in your home state’s election, don’t forget to request an absentee ballot from your home state’s Board of Elections.

Every Election Day, Disability Rights Ohio operates a voter protection hotline. If you have a disability and encounter an issue on Election Day, call 800-282-9181.

What should voters with disabilities know about their rights?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all polling places for federal elections to be fully accessible to voters with disabilities. More information on the rights of voters with disabilities is available from the ACLU. Additional resources related to accessibility are available from the Secretary of State’s office.

• Each polling location must also provide voters with disabilities the option to privately and independently cast their ballot.
• Reasonable accommodations under the ADA must be provided to voters with disabilities.
• You cannot be turned away simply because you have a disability.