Election Information | Photo by Arden Reimer | The Wright State Guardian
In 2022, only 21.6% of voters in Ohio were between the ages of 18 and 29, according to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. With the 2024 elections coming up, it is important for college students to use their political voices. From voter registration deadlines to voting locations, here is how, when and where college students can vote.
Voter Registration
In order to vote in Ohio, residents must be 18 before or on the day of the election, be a United States citizen, an Ohio resident for at least 30 days and must not be incarcerated or a felon.
Voter Registration is tied to where you live and it differs from state to state. Students can register in either their hometown or in their college town. Students can live in both places, but can only vote in one, according to vote.gov.
Before deciding where to vote, students need to consider where voting would be more convenient, who is on the ballot at each place and what local policies are important in either place.
If you are not from Ohio, you can vote in Ohio if you intend not to return to another permanent address, according to the Ohio Secretary of State website.
“When a college student registers to vote from his or her school address, the school residence is considered to be the place to which the student's habitation is fixed… and is considered by the student to be his or her permanent residence at the time of voting. Any other previous residence for voting purposes is no longer valid,” the website reads.
Non-Ohio residents can find more information regarding their states' rules here.
Residents of Ohio must register to vote by Oct. 7 to vote in the November election. Students can register to vote online here.
Voting in Person
ID Requirements
Students voting in person should know that Ohio law requires all voters to provide identification.
Valid forms of ID include:
- Ohio driver's license
- State of Ohio ID card
- Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV
- A US passport
- A US passport card
- US military ID card
- Ohio National Guard ID card
- US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card
The ID must have the voter’s name as it appears in the Poll List, a photo and must not be expired. Exceptions apply, read the full requirements here.
Voting Locations
Election day in Ohio is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Polling locations are based on precincts. Students who are registered to vote in Greene County can find their voting location by searching on Greene County Board of Elections’ website using their address.
Polling locations are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
In addition to these hours, students can vote early at their county’s board of elections office, which can be found here. Early voting begins on Oct. 8 and runs every weekday plus the last two Saturdays and Sundays before Election Day. Voters should check their county’s website for more instructions.
It’s important to know what issues and candidates will be on the ballot before going to vote. Sample ballots can be found beforehand.
Each county or precinct may distribute the ballot differently. Voters should check their county’s board of elections website to find their sample ballot or search on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.
Voting absentee
Students who are living on campus can also vote through an absentee ballot. Addresses for each residence hall can be found on Wright State University’s website.
There are a few steps voters need to take before voting absentee. First, voters must request to vote absentee. The process is easy, but not necessarily accessible for everyone.
Voters must print the application online and mail it to their county’s board of elections. In recent years, the office of Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has sent out applications to resident’s permanent addresses.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is seven days before Election Day. For November’s election, applications must be received by Oct. 29 at 8:30 p.m.
Once the application has been processed, voters will receive an absentee ballot at their desired address. Voters will fill out the ballot and mail it back to their county’s board of elections. The ballot must be postmarked by the day before the election, Monday, Nov. 4, in order to be counted.
Voters have to pay for their own stamps for both the absentee application and the ballot. For student voters, the closest locations to campus selling stamps are the Office Depot in Fairfield Crossing, Walgreens on N. Fairfield Rd. and the United States Postal Service office in Fairborn.
Alternatively, voters can return their absentee ballot in person to their county’s board of elections before the close of the polls at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
WSU residents who vote absentee can pick up their ballot at the Residence Life and Housing office, located in Lot 4 under the water tower. Students should bring their Wright1 card to pick up mail.
Preposted packages and mail can be sent out at the Residence Life and Housing office.
The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m to 1 p.m. and is closed Sundays and university holidays.
While voting can sometimes be a hassle, there are many different ways students can go about voting. Students should choose the way that makes the most sense to their situation.
