FAQs for Voters

You are eligible to vote in Ohio as long as you meet the eligibility requirements of having lived in Ohio for at least 30 days before the election. All Oberlin students registering to vote must do so at their current physical address. If you live on campus, you will need to use the physical address of your residence hall. 

The following are the requirements for voting in Ohio: 

1. You are a citizen of the United States;
2. 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);
3. You will be a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election in which you want to vote;
4. You are not incarcerated (in prison or jail) for a felony conviction under the laws of this state, another state, or the United States;
5. You have not been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court; and
6. You have not been permanently disenfranchised for violating the election laws.

You will need either your Ohio driver's license or state ID number OR the last four digits of your Social Security Number to register to vote. You'll mail your Voter Registration Form to the Lorain County Board of Elections.

You need to re-register to vote every year unless you are living in the same place as last year. All you need to do is resubmit your voter registration form and select that you are updating your registration address.

You can look up your voter registration through the Ohio Secretary of State's website. You will just need your name and county of registration. Look it up here.

Find contact information for the Lorain County Board of Elections here.

If you plan to vote in your home state, you can check out your state's voting guide from the Campus Votes Project. Take note of the deadlines and expectations of voting absentee or early voting if you will not be home on election day. 

Registering to vote in Ohio does not affect federal financial aid or your dependency status. It also does not affect your parents' ability to claim you as a dependent on their taxes. 

Registering in Ohio does not explicitly affect out of state driver's licenses or car registrations.

If you have previously registered to vote in another state, you will lose the ability to vote in your previous state. 

Voter registration forms are available at the Science Library. You can also fill them out yourself through this link. You will need to fill out the paper form unless you have an Ohio driver's license or state ID. 

OC Votes, the League of Women Voters, and other campus groups will also be tabling around campus. Pay attention to the Campus Digest or social media pages to see when we'll be tabling next!

If you have questions about how to register to vote at Oberlin, email us at ocvotes@oberlin.edu.

If you do not have an Ohio driver's license or state ID, a passport, or a military ID, you will need to vote by mail and request an absentee ballot.

If you do have an acceptable form of photo ID, you can vote early in-person at the Board of Elections or in-person on Election Day in addition to being able to vote by mail. 

If you are planning to vote by mail, your first step is to request an absentee ballot. You can find an Ohio absentee ballot request here.

If you would like to vote early in-person or on Election Day, you will need one of the following forms of photo ID: 

• A Driver's license or photo ID issued by the State of Ohio BMV
• Military ID
• US Passport and Passport Card

If you do not have one of these forms of ID, you will need to request an absentee ballot using the last four digits of your Social Security Card. 

You should request your absentee ballot as soon as possible. Absentee ballots will begin to be mailed out the day after the voter registrations deadline, so make sure to look out for it in the mail. You can track your absentee ballot online.