Who Can Vote Absentee?

Any qualified elector may vote by absent voter’s ballot for an election.

You may request an Absentee Ballot by…

• completing an Absentee Ballot Application and mailing it to the Board of Elections
• calling the Board of Elections and requesting an Absentee Ballot Application to be mailed to you
• mailing a letter to the Board of Elections with the following information:

• Your name and home address.
• The election for which you are requesting a ballot.
• Your date of birth.
• One of the following:

• Your driver’s license number; or
• The last four digits of your social security number; or
• A copy of your current and valid photo identification or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address.

• If the election is a primary, your party choice, or that you want to vote an issues-only ballot.
• The mailing address to which you want your ballot sent.
• You must state that you are a qualified elector.
• Your signature.  (May not be signed by Power of Attorney)

You may return your absentee ballot to the Board of Elections by:

• mailing it to the Board of Elections for your county
• hand-delivering by you or a relative to the Board of Elections office

November 6, 2012 General Election Absentee Ballot Request

Your absentee ballot must be received by the Board of Elections for your county before 7:30 PM on Election Day to be counted!

Armed Services/Overseas Citizens

If you are a member on active duty in the US Armed Services outside the state, your spouse and dependents may vote by an armed services absentee ballot if you otherwise meet the requirements for voting in Ohio.  Your spouse and/or dependents may vote by an armed services ballot only if they left Ohio to be with you.

The voting residence of a service member is that place where you resided when you first entered the service, unless you later established a voting residence elsewhere in Ohio.

You may go to www.fvap.gov to download Form 76A (Registration and Application Ballot Request).  Please completely fill out the form and sign it. The application is good for the calendar year in which it was mailed.  Ohio does not require a witness/notary.  For further questions, you may want to download the Voting Assistance Guide for Ohio or contact the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot - Haven't Received Your Ballot? Don't Wait Until It's Too Late. Use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot.

Ohio allows you to use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) for voting in primary, special, and general elections for Federal, State, and local offices and non-candidate ballot issues.  If you are registered and have requested your absentee ballot, feel free to use the FWAB to vote anytime before an election.  Please note that Ohio does not allow you to use this form as a registration form.  This form can be obtained by going to www.fvap.gov.  If you have further questions on the use of the FWAB, please consult the Voting Assistance Guide for Ohio or contact the Federal Assistance Program.

Medical Emergencies

An absentee ballot may be requested until 3:00 p.m. on Election Day in the case of a medical emergency (Form 11-B, Application For Absent Voter’s Ballot by Voter Hospitalized or Whose Minor Child is Hospitalized, Because of an Accident or Unforeseeable Medical Emergency). Please call the Board of Elections 937-378-3008 for further information.

Click here to download form Form 11-B.