UC Votes

Visit uc.turbovote.org or the Ohio Secretary of State's website to check your voter registration status. If you are already registered to vote, by looking up your voter registration status, you can also identify your polling location if you wish to vote in-person on Election Day. 

Registering to vote with your home address: 

• Visit uc.turbovote.org to register to vote online for almost any state! 
  • In order to register to vote online, you will likely need the last 4 digits of your social security number or your state ID number. 
• Note that in Ohio, in order to register to vote online, your voter registration address must match the address on your Ohio state ID. If you do not have a state of Ohio ID, you won't be able to register to vote online. In this scenario, you would need to complete a paper voter registration card. 
  • You can either print out a PDF version of Ohio's voter registration card or you can pick one up from a UC Votes mailbox (Stratford 19, Calhoun Hall, Campus Rec Residence Hall, Marian Spencer Hall, or Daniels Hall). 
  • Use a pen while completing your voter registration card. Make sure for question 8 you mark down the county you live in (do not write USA), for question 10 include the last 4 digits of your social security number OR your Ohio state ID number, and make sure you write in today's date above your signature (and not your birthday). 
  • Once you complete your voter registration card, you can mail it to or drop it off at your county's Board of Elections, or you can drop it off at a UC Votes mailbox. 

Registering to vote with your campus address: 

• According to Ohio law, you may register to vote with your campus address if you presently intend to return to the university following a significant break like winter break or summer break. 
• Full instructions on how to register to vote with a campus address can be found via our Voting With A Campus Address page. 

There are 3 voting options in Ohio:

1. Voting early in-person: This voting methold could be useful if you don't plan on having time to vote in-person on Election Day. Note that you must provide a valid form of ID in order to vote early in-person. In Ohio, voting early in-person usually occurs at your county's Board of Elections a month prior to the election. Ohio voters can view the early voting schedule on the Ohio Secretary of State's website. 
2. Voting by mail: This voting method could be useful if you do not have access to a valid state of Ohio ID or a U.S. passport because it only requires you to document the last 4 digits of your social security number. Ohio voters can complete, print and sign the Absentee Ballot Application form and return it by mail or in person to your local Board of Elections office. You can also drop it off at a UC Votes mailbox (Stratford 19, Calhoun Hall, Campus Rec Residence Hall, Marian Spencer Hall, or Daniels Hall). If you live in a campus housing facility, use our "Voting Addresses for Campus Housing Facilities" page to identify your facility's physical address and mailing address. Voters must purchase their own stamps for their voted ballots; you will need one stamp per page of ballot.  You can buy stamps and drop off your completed ballot at the Corryville Post office at 2917 Short Vine, Cincinnati, OH 45219. See the "General Election Key Dates" information above for deadlines related to voting by mail. 
3. Voting on Election Day:  This voting method could be useful if you plan on having enough time to vote in-person on Election Day and if you have a valid form of ID. Polls in Ohio are open from 6:30AM-7:30PM on Election Day. Before you go to your polling location to vote on Election Day, confirm both your voter registration using TurboVote and your polling location using Vote.org. Note that you can also sign up to receive election reminders using TurboVote. 

The Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative is providing free rides to the polls during the early voting period and on election day. 

Voter ID for Students: 

You will need to bring your voter identification with you if you vote early in-person or if you vote in-person on Election Day.

The following are acceptable voter IDs in Ohio: 

• Unexpired Ohio driver's license: commercial, motorcycle, probationary, interim, temporary, or restricted
• Unexpired Ohio issued ID card-- will be issued by the state for free**
• US military ID card
• Ohio issued National Guard ID card
• US issued Department of Veterans Affairs ID card
• Unexpired US passport or passport card

Note that the address on one of the acceptable voter IDs listed above do not need to match the voter's registration address. 

** Beginning April 7, 2023, the Ohio BMV will issue State of Ohio ID Cards for FREE to anyone 17 or older who does not have a driver's license. This is particularly important for students who wish to register to vote using their on-campus address. Note that out of state students who are registered to vote in Ohio who get a free Ohio ID will have their home state license revoked. Out of state students who register to vote in Ohio can vote by mail with the last four digits of their social security number or in person with a passport. VoteRiders, a nonpartisan nonprofit, will help anyone get a free ID. 

More information about voter ID rules can be found via the Ohio Secretary of State's website or by using the National Conference of State Legislatures' website. 

Nonpartisan Voter Guides:

• The League of Women Voters of Cincinnati Area offers a comprehensive nonpartisan voter guide for Hamilton County for most elections. You can use this to learn more about the candidates and issues on the ballot. This voter guide is usually published at the beginning of October. 
• Guides.vote has nonpartisan voter guides on US President, US Vice President, Ohio US Senate, Ohio State Supreme Court races

Sample Ballots: 

• VOTE411.org has served tens of millions of voters. By entering one’s home address on VOTE411.org, voters can see ballot questions they will be voting on.
• Hamilton County, Ohio residents can view their sample ballots via the Hamilton County Board of Elections. 

Disinformation: 

•  "Voting Fact or Fiction" : Educate yourself against common voting disinformation techniques. 
• Detecting Disinformation: A two page guide on how to detect disinformation online. 

Know Your Rights: 

• Check out our Lines and Voting resource to learn about what to do if you experience issues while voting. 

Self-Care: 

• Review our "Election Self-Care Tips" sheet to learn about ways to care for yourself while you maintain your political involvement.  

Now that you checked your voter registration status, registered to vote, selected your voting method/ voter ID, and educated yourself on what will be on your ballot, you are ready to vote!

The University of Cincinnati has a reading day scheduled on federal election days, which means there are no classes on federal election days for undergraduate students!  

Tips for voting on Election Day: 

• It is a good idea to bring anything you might need while you wait in line (water, snacks, etc.). 
• You may have to wait in line to vote. If you are in line to vote at 7:30PM (Ohio), do NOT leave the line! You have the right to stay in line as long as you need to. 
• If you do not have an acceptable form of voter ID or if they aren't able to find you in their system, know that you have a constitutional right to fill out a provisional ballot. Your provisional ballot will count if the Board of Elections verifies your OH driver's license or state ID number or the last 4 digits of your social security number. Do not leave without filling out a provisional ballot. Provisional ballots must be cured with the county's Board of Elections by the 4th day after an election. 
• If you experience issues while voting, or if you need voting information, consider calling the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (English), 1-888-Ve-Y-Vota (Spanish), 1-844-YALLA-US (Arabic), 1-888-API-VOTE (Asian & Pacific Islander languages).

Transportation to the Polls: 

The Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative is providing free rides to the polls on Election Day.  

Contact Your Representatives: 

• Did you know that fewer than 1/10 Ohioans contact their elected representatives in any given year? Learn how to contact your representatives using our "How to Find & Contact Your Representatives" guide. 

Peacefully Protest:

• It is very important to understand how to safely protest/ participate in a demonstration. Use our "How to Safely Protest" guide to learn more.