What Is Needed to Vote
Ohio law requires that every voter, upon appearing at the polling place to vote on Election Day, must announce his or her full name and current address and provide proof of identity.
The forms of identification that may be used by a voter who appears at a polling place to vote on Election Day include:
- A photo identification that was issued by the United States government or the State of Ohio, that contains the voter’s name and current address and that has an expiration date that has not passed
- An Ohio driver’s license or state identification card with present or former address so long as the voter’s present residential address is printed in the official list of registered voters for that precinct;
- A military identification card with photo and name, Ohio National Guard ID Card, or US Department of Veterans Affairs ID Card
- A US Passport or Passport Card
Provisional Ballots
If you do not have any of the above forms of identification you may provide either your Ohio driver’s license or state identification number (which begins with two letters followed by six numbers) or the last four digits of your Social Security number and cast a provisional ballot. Once the information is reviewed and verified by the board of elections, your ballot will be counted.
If you do not provide one of the above documents or your driver’s license/state identification number or the last four digits of your Social Security number at the precinct, you will still be able to vote using a provisional ballot. However, in order for that ballot to be counted, you must return to the board of elections no later than four days following Election Day to provide a qualifying form of identification.
Other Helpful Links
The Board of Elections is here to help. Whether you are a citizen or a candidate, we provide the information you need to participate in Ohio elections.