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Voting in your state

Voting in Ohio, 2026

Every date and deadline for the November 3 general election, from registering to the final certificate, and who signs off on the result.

Right nowEarly voting is open in Ohio through Sunday, November 1.Election Day in 7 days

Every date, in order

  1. Mon, Oct 5 · passed
    Registration deadline
    Register by Monday October 5, 2026, since the 30-day deadline falls on a Sunday and moves to the next business day.2
  2. Tue, Oct 6 · passed
    Early voting begins
  3. Sun, Nov 1 · 5 days
    Early voting ends
    Early voting runs from Tuesday October 6 until 5 p.m. on Sunday November 1, 2026.1
  4. Tue, Nov 3 · 7 days
    Election Day; Mail ballots must arrive
    Absentee ballots must be received by the board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.2
  5. Tue, Nov 24 · 28 days
    County/Local canvass; County/Local certification
    County boards canvass no later than the 21st day after the election, November 24.3
  6. After certification
    Deadline to contest the result
    A contest must be filed within 15 days after the results are announced, or within 10 days after the results of a recount are announced.4

Questions people ask about voting in Ohio

Q. When does early voting end in Ohio?

Early voting runs from Tuesday October 6 until 5 p.m. on Sunday November 1, 2026.

Q. When is the deadline to register to vote in Ohio?

Register by Monday October 5, 2026, since the 30-day deadline falls on a Sunday and moves to the next business day.

Q. What is the last day to request a mail ballot in Ohio?

Absentee applications must be received by close of business on Tuesday October 27, 2026, 7 days before Election Day.

Q. When does my mail ballot have to arrive in Ohio?

Absentee ballots must be received by the board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

Q. Who certifies the election in Ohio, and by when?

The county board of elections receives the precinct results, canvasses the county results and sends them to the Secretary of State. County boards must finish the official canvass by November 24, 2026, the 21st day after the election. The Secretary of State receives the county results, canvasses the statewide results and certifies them. The Secretary of State must fix a time for the state canvass no later than 10 days after receiving every county's abstracts, notify the Governor, Auditor, AG, and each party's state chair, and then canvass and declare the results in the presence of whichever notified persons attend. R.C. § 3505.35(A). Certificates of election issue only after the recount-application window has closed and any recount that was applied for is complete. R.C. § 3505.38.

Q. What happens after the count in Ohio, and when is there a recount?

Certificates are not issued until any recount that was applied for is complete. § 3505.38. A recount is automatic when the margin is one half of one percent or less, or one quarter of one percent or less for a statewide race, and it must take place within 10 days after it is declared. A candidate who was not declared elected may request a recount with the relevant county or counties. The recount must take place within 10 days of the request.

Q. How long is there to contest an election in Ohio?

A contest must be filed within 15 days after the results are announced, or within 10 days after the results of a recount are announced.

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Sources

  1. US Vote Foundation, Ohio Election Dates and Deadlines, https://www.usvotefoundation.org/ohio-election-dates-and-deadlines
  2. Vote.org, Ohio Election Center, https://www.vote.org/state/ohio/
  3. NCSL, Canvass Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/canvass-deadlines
  4. NCSL, Contested Election Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/contested-election-deadlines
  5. nass.org, https://www.nass.org/node/2455; https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a500RuPokeDzM6vPaWIW1CjeLlCGioenYLbgBjsOL3Y/edit?gid=840308789#gid=840308789
  6. Bolts, Who counts our elections, https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/who-counts-our-elections/
  7. NCSL, Election Certification Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/election-certification-deadlines

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