A: Yes, you may take a form to someone else to fill out and mail
in. However, given that the deadline is so soon, it might be
more efficient if the other person were to go to any public
library or deputy registrar of motor vehicles (where you renew
your driver’s license) and fill out a voter registration there.
Then s/he could be sure it would get to the Board of Elections
on time.
A: Yes. Ohio law allows you to register and vote as soon as you
are released from prison, even if you are on parole or
probation. You do not need to do anything besides fill out an
ordinary voter registration form. You cannot vote if you are
currently incarcerated.
A: You may register while you are 17 if you will be 18 by the
General Election (November 7, 2006). You may also vote in a
Primary Election (for candidates only, not on any ballot
questions) while you are 17 if you will be 18 by the General
Election.
A: Yes. As a student, you may choose to vote either where you
attend school or “back home,” depending on which place you now
consider your residence. The official determination is “that
place to which, whenever they are absent, they intend to
return.” But you may NOT vote both places! If you are registered
“back home” and now want to change that registration to your
school residence, be sure you fill out your former registration
address so it can be cancelled.
A: Voter registration closes 30 days before an election. So, if
you are here in time to register before the deadline, you will
automatically have been a resident for the required 30 days
before the election.
A: You should re-register in your new county if you have changed
your residence. Be sure to fill in your old address where you
were registered so that it can be cancelled—and so you can’t be
accused of trying to register twice.
A: Fill out the registration form, putting your county’s name at
the top. We will turn all of the completed forms into the Board
of Elections of this county and they will forward the
out-of-county forms to the correct counties.
A: You should register and vote in this
election from the address where you now live. After the
election, be sure to send a change of address to the Board of
Elections so they will have you registered at your new address
for the next election.
A: You became eligible to register to vote the minute you became
a citizen. In fact, many jurisdictions provide voter
registration services at the citizenship ceremony.
A: You do not need to speak fluent English to vote. You may have
help in filling out the registration form; and you may have help
in voting, if you want it, from two election workers who belong
to different political parties—or anyone else except your
employer or union officer or a candidate for office.
A: If you have someplace that will accept mail for you (for
example, a friend’s or relative’s home, a church, a food
pantry), you can register from that address. You need to give an
address so the Board of Elections knows where to send the
postcard telling you the location of your polling place.
A: You need not use the address of the shelter. Use your former
home address to register; then request an absentee ballot to be
sent to another address (perhaps where you work, a friend’s, an
attorney’s office). Or you can vote by absentee ballot at the
Board of Elections office during office hours until the day
before the election.
A: You should register to vote from the address where you now
live. If you are in a nursing home or assisted-living facility,
you may vote in person or by absentee ballot. If you request an
absentee ballot, note on it that you are in a nursing home, and
the Board of Elections will send your ballot with two of their
employees from different political parties to help you vote, if
you want help. It is your choice.
A: Someone else can fill out the registration form for you and
you can simply sign it or make your mark. When you go to vote,
explain that you need help; you may be helped by anyone you
choose except your employer or union officer or a candidate, or
you can be helped by two election workers of different political
parties. It is your choice.
A: No, you may not register to vote in Ohio. You must be a
United States citizen. No matter how long you have been a
permanent resident and have paid taxes, you may not register and
vote if you are not a citizen.
A: We do not have the authority to register residents of other
states. We do not have the forms or the information to tell you
what the laws of other states require. You need to get in touch
with that state’s Secretary of State or League of Women Voters
to tell you what you need to do to register in your home state.
A: You do not declare your party when you register to vote in
Ohio. You only declare your party when you ask for one party’s
ballot at a Primary Election.
A: The Board of Elections should send you your registration
card, with polling place location, in the mail before November
7. If it does not arrive, you should contact your
county board of elections to ensure you are registered and
to find the address of your polling place. Consider voting an
absentee ballot if you expect to be away from the county on
Election Day.
A: Anyone can apply for an absentee ballot. Contact your county
Board of Elections. The Board of Elections has special
arrangements available for persons with disabilities and persons
who have medical emergencies the day of election. Contact your
county Board of Elections for further information. Absentee
ballots must be received at the county Board of Elections office
by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted. Ballots
mailed from outside the United States must be postmarked by
Election Day and will be counted if received by the Board of
Elections up to 10 days after an election.
For additional details on voting and absentee ballots, see the
Voter FAQ.
