UC Votes

UC is a TurboVote campus. Visit uc.turbovote.org to check your voter registration status. You can also use TurboVote to register to vote online and get election reminders.

Note that you cannot register to vote online using your campus address; you must use a paper voter registration form. See Step 2 below for more information on voter registration. 

 UC students can register to vote using their home address or their campus address. Register before the deadline in the state where you intend to vote. Keep in mind that the deadline to register to vote in Ohio is October 11, 2022 for the November 8, 2022 General Election.

UC is a TurboVote campus. Visit uc.turbovote.org to register to vote online, check your voter registration status, and get election reminders. All UC students who are United States citizens can register to vote online using their home address. 

Every student at The University of Cincinnati who is a citizen of the United States has the right to register to vote in Hamilton County using their campus address. Note that you cannot register to vote online using your campus address; you must use a paper voter registration form. There are 4 steps to register to vote using your campus address: 

1. Print out the Ohio Voter Registration Form, or pick one up from the SALD office at 455 Steger. 
2. Fill out the voter registration card using your campus address, exactly how it is written in Catalyst. See step 4 on how to look up your campus address. 
3. Mail your voter registration card to: Hamilton County Board of Elections, 4700 Smith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45212 OR drop it off at the SALD office at 455 Steger. 
4. You will then need to print out your voter ID. Log into Catalyst, click on the "Quick Links & Helpful Contacts" tile, click on "Address Verification Letter", select your campus address, and click on "Download Letter (PDF)". Once the letter has been downloaded, print it out and bring this with you when you go to vote early in-person OR on Election Day. 

There are 3 voting options in Ohio:

1. Voting early in-person: In Ohio, voting early in-person usually occurs at your county's Board of Elections. Voting early in-person begins October 12 and includes the two Saturdays, the Sunday and the Monday before Election Day. Ohio voters can contact their county's Board of Elections to view their county's early voting schedule. 
2. Voting by mail: Absentee voting by mail begins in Ohio on October 12. Ohio voters can complete, print and sign the Absentee Ballot Application form and return it by mail or in person to your local Board of Elections office. When you receive your ballot and identification envelope in the mail, follow the instructions included and return your voted ballot by mail or via the drop box located outside the Board of Elections office. Note that applications for absentee ballots to be mailed for the November 8 General Election must be received by your county's Board of Elections by 12PM on November 5. Also, voted absentee ballots for the November 8 General Election returned by U.S. Mail must be postmarked no later than November 7 and received by your county's Board of Elections by November 18 in order to be counted.
3. Voting on Election Day:  Polls in Ohio are open from 6:30AM-7:30PM on Election Day. Before you go to your polling location to vote on Election Day, confirm both your voter registration using TurboVote and your polling location using Vote.org. Note that you can also sign up to receive election reminders using TurboVote. 

The Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative is providing free rides to the polls during the early voting period at the Hamilton County Board of Elections. Early in-person voting begins October 12 and includes the two Saturdays, the Sunday and the Monday before Election Day. 

• If you need a ride: Complete the Cincinnati Rides to the Polls form, call (513) 204-9743, or text RIDECINCY to (513) 281-9955 to receive the form above via text. 
• If you would like to offer a ride: sign up to learn more via the GCV Driver Sign Up Form. 

Voter ID for Students Living at their Home Address: 

You will need to bring your voter identification with you if you vote early in-person or if you vote in-person on Election Day. There are a variety of acceptable voter IDs in Ohio: 

• Unexpired OH driver's license or state ID card
• Military ID
• Unexpired photo ID issues by the US government or State of Ohio with voter's name and current address
• *Utility bill (including cell phone)
• *Bank statement
• *Government check
• *Paycheck
• *Other government document- federal, state, local (other than a notice of voter registration mail by a Board of Elections)

*This document can be an origional or a copy, and it must have the voter's name and current address and it must be dated within the last 12 months. 

If you do not have any of the above IDs, your provisional ballot will count if your Board of Elections verifies your OH driver's license or state ID number or the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. 

More information about voter ID rules can be found using the National Conference of State Legislatures' website. 

Voter ID for Students Living on Campus: 

UC students who are citizens of the United States and are registered to vote using their campus address can print out their voter ID using Catalyst. Log into Catalyst, click on the "Quick Links & Helpful Contacts" tile, click on "Address Verification Letter", select your campus address, and click on "Download Letter (PDF)". Once the letter has been downloaded, print it out and bring this with you when you go to vote early in-person OR on Election Day. 

Nonpartisan Voter Guides:

• The League of Women Voters of Cincinnati Area offers a comprehensive nonpartisan voter guide for Hamilton County. You can use this to learn more about the candidates and issues on the ballot.  
• WVXU recently created a voter guide for folks in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. 
• Action Tank's Vote Smarter page has a variety of information to help voters make informed decisions at the polls. Their First Aid Kit provides information about redistricting, registering to vote, candidate descriptions, policy guides and more. 
• The Campus Vote Project, Civic Influencers, and Guides.vote have nonpartisan student voting guides for many states. 
  • 2022 Supreme Court Guide: Provides an overview of significant, recent Supreme Court decisions, prepared by guides.vote. 
  • 2022 Ohio Governor Guide: Compares policy viewpoints from incumbent Governor Mike Dewine and former Mayor Nan Whaley, prepared by guides.vote. 
  • 2022 Ohio Senate Guide: Compares policy viewpoints from Senate candidates Tim Ryan and J.D. Vance, prepared by guides.vote. 
  • Ohio Student Association's Nonpartisan Voter Guide: Includes candidates for Governor, State Supreme Court, and United States Senator. 
  • Ohio State Board of Education Candidate Guide: This nonpartisan guide was created by Honesty for Ohio Education and School Board School. 

Sample Ballots: 

• VOTE411.org has served tens of millions of voters. By entering one’s home address on VOTE411.org, voters can see ballot questions they will be voting on.
• Hamilton County, Ohio residents can view their sample ballots via the Hamilton County Board of Elections. 
• Hamilton County Board of Elections also posts candidates lists and issues lists for elections about a month prior to the election.  

Nonpartisan Voter Education Webinars:

• How to Become a Poll Worker: Learn about how to become a poll worker in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. 
• Why Local Elections Matter: Learn about why local elections and local races are critically important for the success of our democracy and our community. 
• Debunking Common Voter Myths: Explore common voter myths in order to understand how elections are actually facilitated in Ohio and beyond. 
• Importance of Minority Voting: Learn about the history of voting rights for minoritized communities in the United States. 
• Understanding Voter ID: Learn about voter ID laws in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana so you are pepared to vote on Election Day. 
• Making Your Voting Plan: Watch this webinar to learn how to make a voting plan so you can show up to the polls "ballot-ready" in November. 
• What's On Your Ballot: This webinar is for voters in Hamilton County, Ohio; it will let you know what will be on your ballot this November. 

Disinformation: 

•  "Voting Fact or Fiction" : Educate yourself against common voting disinformation techniques. 
• Detecting Disinformation: A two page guide on how to detect disinformation online. 

Know Your Rights: 

• Check out our Lines and Voting resource to learn about what to do if you experience issues while voting. 

Self-Care: 

• Review our "Election Self-Care Tips" sheet to learn about ways to care for yourself while you maintain your political involvement.  

Now that you checked your voter registration status, registered to vote, selected your voting method/ voter ID, and educated yourself on what will be on your ballot, you are ready to vote!

The University of Cincinnati has a reading day scheduled for November 8, which means there are no classes on Election Day!  

Tips for voting on Election Day: 

• It is a good idea to bring anything you might need while you wait in line (water, snacks, etc.). 
• You may have to wait in line to vote. If you are in line to vote at 7:30PM (Ohio), do NOT leave the line! You have the right to stay in line as long as you need to. 
• If you do not have an acceptable form of voter ID or if they aren't able to find you in their system, know that you have a constitutional right to fill out a provisional ballot. Your provisional ballot will count if the Board of Elections verifies your OH driver's license or state ID number or the last 4 digits of your social security number. Do not leave without filling out a provisional ballot. 
• If you experience issues while voting, or if you need voting information, consider calling the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (English), 1-888-Ve-Y-Vota (Spanish), 1-844-YALLA-US (Arabic), 1-888-API-VOTE (Asian & Pacific Islander languages).

Transportation to the Polls: 

The Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative is providing free rides to the polls on Election Day.  

• If you need a ride: Complete the Cincinnati Rides to the Polls form, call (513) 204-9743, or text RIDECINCY to (513) 281-9955 to receive the form above via text. 
• If you would like to offer a ride: sign up to learn more via the GCV Driver Sign Up Form. 

Contact Your Representatives: 

• Did you know that fewer than 1/10 Ohioans contact their elected representatives in any given year? Learn how to contact your representatives using our "How to Find & Contact Your Representatives" guide. 

Peacefully Protest:

• It is very important to understand how to safely protest/ participate in a demonstration. Use our "How to Safely Protest" guide to learn more.