While not quite as much fun as tax forms (hahaha!), voter registration is another civic service that we provide to our communities. Many Ohio libraries process voter registration applications, so even if yours doesn’t, your community may still come to you for assistance. As local and statewide campaigns start to heat up, it’s a good time for a refresher on where we can go for voter registration information.
Important Dates
- The deadline to register to vote in the November 6th Midterm election is Tuesday, October 9th
- National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday, September 25th
- The deadline to request an Absentee Vote by Mail ballot is Saturday, November 3rd
For individuals who have moved or who are new voters
Ohio offers online voter registration: https://olvr.sos.state.oh.us/
To register online they will need to provide the following:
- Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card number
- Name
- Date of Birth
- Address
- Last four digits of your Social Security number
If a patron is missing any of the above information, or if they would like to register to vote with a paper application, they may do so at their county board of elections. A directory of phone numbers and locations for local BOEs is on the Ohio Secretary of State website:
https://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/elections-officials/county-boards-of-elections-directory/
(Assuming you don’t process voter registration forms at your location, of course)
For existing voters or those newly registered
Even if an individual has registered to vote in the past, they should check to make sure that their registration is up-to-date. In a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court in June of this year, Ohio won the right to purge from its rolls people who have not recently voted nor confirmed their voting eligibility. The State issued a statement that it will not resume purging records until after the Midterm election, but anyone who has doubts about their eligibility should check to see if their registration is correct.
Many individual county boards of election offer a voter search. The Ohio Secretary of State website offers one as well: https://voterlookup.sos.state.oh.us/VoterLookup.aspx
Individual county boards of election may have sample ballots available for preview: https://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/voters/toolkit/sample-ballot/#gref
Absentee Voting by Mail
Absentee Vote by Mail ballot request forms are available in English and Spanish from the Ohio Secretary of State website. Many county boards of election may offer their own online request forms as well. https://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/voters/absentee-voting-by-mail/#gref
- The window for requests is open now, with a deadline of Saturday, November 3rd.
- Completed ballots may be mailed in (must be postmarked by November 8th, the day before the election) or delivered in person to the county board of elections by 7:30 pm the day of the election.
- The U.S. Postal Service estimates that it may take two to five days for your voted absentee ballot to be delivered to your board of elections by mail.
Ways to Communicate
If you would like to promote voting registration in your communities, there are online organizations that provide toolkits with social media images, posters, and more.
U.S. Vote Foundation
https://www.usvotefoundation.org/banner-kit
National Voter Registration Day
https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/partner-tools/
Non-Profit Vote
https://www.nonprofitvote.org/four-ways-to-promote-voting-now/
Carla Schober
OLC - RISD 