Ohio Primary: key dates, voter requirements, how to register. The following non-partisan guide provides information necessary for voting in the May 5 primary.
Voter Information
Ohio Secretary of State. 22 N. 4th St., Columbus 43215. 1-877-767-6446. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Check voter-registration status. Find your polling location.
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. Check your voter-registration status. Find your polling location.
Trumbull County Board of Elections. 2947 Youngstown Road SE, Warren, Ohio 44484. Phone: 330-369-4050. Fax: 330-369-4160. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Check voter-registration status. Find your polling location.
Columbiana County Board of Elections. 7989 Dickey Drive, Suite 3, Lisbon, Ohio 44432. Phone: 330-424-1448. Fax: 330-424-6661. 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday. Check voter-registration status. Find your polling location.
Important dates
- Military and overseas absentee voting: Begins March 20.
- Deadline to register to vote: Monday, April 6. Boards of elections and the Ohio Secretary of State’s office will be open until 9 p.m.
- Early in-person voting: Begins Tuesday, April 7 and includes the Saturday and Sunday before Election Day.
- Absentee voting by mail: Begins Tuesday, April 7. (Absentee-ballot application must be received by your board of elections by Tuesday, April 28.)
- Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by Monday, May 4.
- Election Day: The Ohio Primary is set for Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Polls will be 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. Find your polling location.
How to register to vote online
To register online you 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 you do not have any portion of the required information, follow this link to update your voting address using our paper form (PDF). Once you complete this form, you must sign and send it to your county board of elections.
If you are a Safe at Home participant, before you proceed, follow this link to contact the Safe at Home office.
How to register by mail
Access Ohio’s Voter Registration form by clicking here. You may also use the National Mail Voter Registration form available at https://www.eac.gov/voters/national-mail-voter-registration-form(opens in a new window).
You also may ask a county board of elections or the Secretary of State’s office to mail a voter registration form to you.
How to register to vote in person
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.
What are the qualifications to register and vote in Ohio?
- 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, another state, or the United States.
- You have not been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court.
- 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.
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 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.
- A U.S. military dependent 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.
Notice: An unexpired Ohio driver license, State of Ohio 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.
– Source: Ohio Secretary of State website.
How to obtain a free Ohio I.D. card
Ohioans who are 17 years and older can get a state I.D. card (at no cost) by visiting a BMV deputy registrar licensing agency. To find the nearest license agency: publicsafety.ohio.gov/local-office. Visit here to learn more.
Compiled from the Ohio Secretary of State, and boards of elections in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.
Metro Monthly is a local news and events magazine based in Youngstown, Ohio. We circulate throughout the Mahoning Valley and offer print and online editions. Be sure to visit our publication’s website for news, features, local history, and the Metro Monthly Calendar. Office: 330-717-8785.
© 2026 Metro Monthly. All rights reserved.
