Have questions or concerns about voting in this November's elections? Email reporter Scott Wartman at swartman@enquirer.com
Most registered voters should have received an absentee ballot application by now.
If you haven't, check your registration.
In recent years, the Ohio Secretary of State has purged thousands of voterswho have registered in other states or have not voted in years.
But not receiving a ballot application doesn't necessarily mean you've been purged, election officials told The Enquirer. It could have been lost in the mail. Or maybe it went to a former address.
"I wouldn’t necessarily jump to the conclusion it's a problem with a registration," said Nicole Unzicker, Butler County Board of Elections director.
When did you register?
Recently registered voters
may not have received a ballot application yet.
For most voters, the Ohio Secretary of State sent out the absentee ballot application around the Labor Day weekend.These were all the voters registered as of June, which was the latest data the election officials had prior to mailing, said Dan Lusheck, spokesman for the Ohio Secretary of State. Anyone who registers between June and the Oct. 5 deadline will get a ballot application in one of two subsequent mailings.
Here's what elections officials recommend voters do ahead of the registration deadline.
Check your Ohio voter registration
Regardless of whether you get your absentee ballot application, elections officials recommend all residents check their voting registration status before the registration deadline of Oct. 5.
You can visit voterlookup.ohiosos.gov/voterlookup.aspx to check if you're registered. Enter your first and last names, and your county of residence.
How do you register to vote in Ohio?
You can register to vote online, by mail or in person.
Online, you can register to vote and update your address at olvr.ohiosos.gov.
You can download a voter registration form online and mail it to the Ohio Secretary of State or local county board of elections.
You can also register in person at the Ohio Secretary of State's office, any of Ohio's 88 county boards of elections, any Bureau of Motor Vehicles registrar or deputy registrar office, public libraries, high schools, vocational schools and county treasurer offices.
What happens if you get multiple ballot requests?
Some third-party organizations send absentee ballot applications to residents. This can cause confusion among some voters about why they have multiple applications, elections officials told The Enquirer. Voters only need to fill out one application that they send to the Board of Elections, they said.
You can also download an absentee application here https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/request-an-absentee-ballot.
"This is a very confusing time of year for voters," said Brian Sleeth, Warren County's Director of Elections. "Many outside groups have mailed out tons of absentee applications to voters. We have received thousands to date."
How many people vote by mail?
While most people still vote on Election Day, a large percentage vote early by mail. During the last midterm in 2022, about one out of every five voters in Ohio cast a vote by mail or dropped off at the board of elections. In 2024, almost one in three voters cast a vote by mail.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What to do if you didn't get an Ohio absentee ballot form in the mail
