BGSU Votes

According to the Ohio Secretary of State, you are qualified to register to vote in Ohio if you meet all the following requirements:

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 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. For questions regarding eligibility, please reach out to your local Board of Elections. 

If you're unsure of whether you are registered to vote, you can check your registration status online. 

In Ohio you are required to register to vote at least 30 days before an election. Other states have different registration requirements and deadlines.  Students may choose to register to vote using their college/university address or their address back in their hometown.  Each time you move to a new address you must update your voter registration address.

As a college student, you have the option to choose where you would like to register to vote. Explore the resources below for registering to vote on-campus or in your hometown:

Not sure what your ballot will look like? Ohio voters can view their sample ballot through the Ohio Secretary of State’s website. If you are registered to vote in another state, you can view your sample ballot through BallotReady.

In many states, including Ohio, there are multiple methods you can utilize to vote. You can:

• Vote early in person, 
• Vote early by absentee ballot, or 
• Vote on Election Day.  

Your local Boards of Elections will have the most current information for voters.  

If you are planing on voting in-person on Election Day, be sure to bring the correct identification to your identified polling place. 

Acceptable Identification for Voters in Ohio

• Ohio Drivers License
• Ohio Identification card
• US Passport
• Ohio Interim ID
• U.S. Passport Card
• U.S. Military or Ohio National Guard ID
• U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs ID

Not sure if your ID is valid? Check the list of accepted identifications.