Hamilton County residents can cast ballots starting Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Board of Elections Early Vote Center, 4700 Smith Road in Norwood.

Ohio offers 22 days of early voting, which runs through Sunday, Nov. 1, ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election. The voter registration deadline passed Monday, Oct. 5.

Hyde Park, Oakley and Mount Lookout voters will find statewide races for governor and U.S. Senate on the ballot, along with a Cincinnati Public Schools levy of 7 mills for five years, a Hamilton County children's services levy of 5.61 mills for four years, and a constitutional amendment on voter photo ID requirements (Ohio Issue 3), according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Early voting hours

The Ohio Secretary of State's schedule sets the following hours at the Hamilton County Board of Elections, as reported by the Enquirer:

  • Oct. 6–9: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Oct. 12–16: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Oct. 19–23: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Oct. 24: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Oct. 26: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • Oct. 27: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  • Oct. 28–30: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • Oct. 31: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Nov. 1: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Hours extend in the final week. Oct. 27 offers the longest window at 13 hours.

Absentee ballots

The Board of Elections began mailing absentee ballots on Oct. 6, the Hamilton County BOE said on X. Applications must reach the board by 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 27. Completed ballots must arrive by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. There is no grace period for late mail-in ballots.

Ohio does not require a photo ID to vote by mail. Voters can use the last four digits of their Social Security number or their driver's license or state ID card number on the application, according to Signal Cincinnati.

In-person voters do need a photo ID: a valid Ohio driver's license, Ohio ID card, U.S. passport, U.S. passport card, military ID, Ohio National Guard ID card or Veterans Affairs ID card.

What else to know

As of Sept. 24, the board had received 32,000 absentee ballot applications, down from the previous two midterms, Local 12 reported. Elections director Sherry Poland said during a Sept. 25 media tour that the board is still recruiting poll workers. "We are recruiting poll workers and we still have openings," Poland said.

The Ohio Secretary of State's office has flagged 208,856 voter registrations statewide for cancellation on Jan. 27, 2027. Voting in the Nov. 3 election is one way to avoid cancellation.

Metro, Cincinnati's regional bus service, will offer fare-free rides on all routes on Election Day. Curbside voting is available for voters who cannot enter the polling site; contact the board at (513) 946-8500 to arrange it.

On Election Day, polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters can check their registration at VoteHamiltonCountyOhio.gov.