How to Vote
Everything you need to reach the bottom of the ballot.
18 days until Election Day, November 3, 2026.
Read this first
Judicial races have no party label.
In Ohio, candidates for judge of a court of common pleas are nominated in a partisan primary but appear on the November ballot with no party label, in the separate nonpartisan judicial section. That section sits below the partisan races, so voters who stop early never reach it. Turning the ballot over is the single most important thing a supporter can do.
Key dates
The 2026 general election calendar
Dates below are the statewide Ohio deadlines for the November 3, 2026 general election. The Lucas County Board of Elections is the authority for local hours and locations.
October 5, 2026
Voter registration deadline
Registrations must be received or postmarked by this date to vote in the general election. Moved recently? Your registration follows your address, and an out-of-date address is the most common reason a Lucas County voter ends up casting a provisional ballot.
October 6, 2026
Early in-person voting begins
Early voting runs at the Lucas County Board of Elections through the weekend before Election Day. Hours expand in the final two weeks; the Board publishes the schedule.
October 27, 2026
Absentee ballot application deadline
Your written application for an absentee ballot must be received by the Board by this date. Requesting early matters more than it used to: Ohio tightened its absentee return rules in December 2025, so confirm the current return deadline with the Board before you mail anything.
November 3, 2026
Election Day
Polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.. If you are in line when the polls close, you may still vote.
Election law changes. Before you rely on any date here, confirm it with the Board of Elections or the Ohio Secretary of State. This is a campaign website, not an election authority.
Official sources
Check your registration. Find your polling place.
Check your voter registration
Confirm you are registered and that your address is current. Takes about thirty seconds.
Ohio voter lookupLucas County Board of Elections
Early voting hours, polling locations, absentee applications, and the official Lucas County ballot.
Lucas County Board of ElectionsOhio Secretary of State
Statewide deadlines, absentee rules, voter ID requirements, and the current election calendar.
Ohio Secretary of StateKnow three people who will forget to turn the ballot over.
Down-ballot judicial races are decided by the voters who keep going. Telling three people to finish the ballot is worth more than most things a campaign can buy.