Ohio General Election voting

Watch NBC4 Digital Anchor Kristine Varkony interview Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Election Day morning in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Tuesday is Election Day in Ohio and across the United States, where seats for the U.S. Senate and governors‘ offices across the country, as well as other local races, are up for grabs.

In Ohio, voters will decide who will lead the state for the next four years as well as possibly decide the balance of power in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Additionally, Ohio will select leaders in several statewide races including attorney general, secretary of state, Ohio Supreme Court justices, and statehouse representatives. Also, several ballot issues, constitutional amendments, and school bond and levies issues will be decided, potentially setting the stage for changes that will affect generations.

Tuesday marks the third time this year Ohioans have gone to the polls after delays in Ohio’s redistricting process resulted in two primary elections.

Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Anyone in line at their polling place at 7:30 p.m. will be allowed to cast their vote.

Once polls close, NBC4 will up-to-date results of all contested races in central Ohio and will air a live digital show starting at 7:30 p.m.

General Election Day 2022

Absentee Ballots

The deadline to request an absentee ballot was Saturday, Nov. 5, at noon. Voters who returned their ballots by mail should have had them postmarked by Monday, Nov. 7, However, absentee ballots can be returned in person to the voter’s county board of elections, a list of which can be found below.

Local polling precincts will not accept completed absentee ballots Tuesday; they must be turned in at the county board of elections. All ballots must be delivered by the time polls close Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

If you requested an absentee ballot but choose to vote in person on Election Day, you must vote a provisional ballot, used by the state should a voter’s registration be in question. This can be for multiple reasons, normally due to a voter changing addresses or, in this case, an absentee ballot being registered to that voter.

Identification needed to vote

Every voter must give their full name and current address and provide proof of identity, according to the Ohio Secretary of State.

The forms of ID that may be used by a voter who appears at a polling place to vote on Election Day include:

An unexpired Ohio driver’s license or state ID 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 ID
An original or copy of a current* utility bill with the voter’s name and present address
An original or copy of a current* bank statement with the voter’s name and present address
An original or copy of a current* government check with the voter’s name and present address
An original or copy of a current* paycheck with the voter’s name and present address
An original or copy of a current* other government document (other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections) that shows the voter’s name and present address.

*Current is defined by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office as within the last 12 months.

Voters who cannot provide a valid form of identification would be allowed to cast a provisional ballot. Should a voter not provide a valid ID at the polls and cast a provisional ballot, that voter must provide a valid form of identification at their county board of elections within seven days of the election (Nov. 15, in this case) in order to have their vote count.

Acceptable forms of identification to validate your provisional ballot are:

An Ohio driver’s license or state identification card number (begins with two letters followed by six numbers);
The last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number; or
A copy of a current and valid photo identification, a military identification, or a current (within the last 12 months) utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document (other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections) that shows the voter’s name and current address.