Student Affairs

How to Vote With a Campus Address

Qualified in-state and out-of-state college students who have been in Ohio for more than 30 days may use their Ohio school addresses for voting purposes. Additional information on registering to vote as a college student can be found via Vote.gov and the Ohio Secretary of State's website.

1. Register to Vote

  • To register to vote in Ohio with a campus address, you must use a paper voter registration card
  • You can access a PDF version of Ohio's voter registration card online or you can pick up a copy from the UC Votes space in the undergraduate student government office in Steger 655   
      • You may fill this out virtually or by using a blue or black ink pen
  • Be sure to mark down the physical address of your residence hall on your voter registration card (and not your mailing address)
  • Don’t forget to check a box next to “I am”, and next to #1 and #2
  • In box #8, be sure to write down your county (Hamilton), and not USA
  • You will need to provide the last 4 digits of your social security number or your Ohio driver’s license or state ID number in box #10
  • Don’t forget to sign and date at the bottom of the card
    • Your signature needs to be located entirely within the signature box. 
  • Once you are finished, you can drop off your voter registration card at the undergraduate student government office at Steger 655, mail it to your Board of Elections, or drop it off at the Hamilton County Board of Elections (4700 Smith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45212) 

2. Educate Yourself

  • Nonpartisan Voter Guides:
    • The League of Women Voters of Cincinnati Area offers a comprehensive nonpartisan voter guide for Hamilton County for federal elections. You can use this to learn more about the candidates and issues on the ballot. This voter guide is usually published at the beginning of October. 
    • Guides.vote offers nonpartisan voter guides for races across the country. 
  • Sample Ballots: 

3. Vote

  • There are 3 ways to vote in Ohio:
    • Voting early in-person: 
      • Early voting occurs at the Hamilton County Board of Elections (4700 Smith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45212) for voters registered in Hamilton County starting about four weeks prior to Election Day
      • View the early voting schedule via the Ohio Secretary of State's website
      • You must bring an unexpired and valid form of ID to vote in-person (Ohio identification, Ohio driver's license, and passports are all valid forms of ID in Ohio)
    • Voting by mail: 
      • Ohio voters can complete, print and sign the Absentee Ballot Application form and return it by mail or in person to their local Board of Elections office. Copies of the form can be found in the undergraduate student government office at Steger 655, and completed forms can be dropped off at the same location. 
      • You can deliver your voted absentee ballot via USPS or you can deliver it in-person at your county's Board of Elections. 
        • Via USPS: Voters must purchase their own stamps for their voted ballots if you choose to deliver them via USPS. Voters will need one stamp per page of ballot. Stamps can be purchased and voted absentee ballots can be dropped off at the Corryville Post office at 2917 Short Vine, Cincinnati, OH 45219. Stamps can also be purchased at the checkout counter on the 3rd floor of the UC Bookstore in TUC. If mailed, absentee ballots must be postmarked by the day before the election in order to be counted. You may wish to request a manual postmark when you drop off your completed ballot at your local USPS branch.  
        • In-person: If turned in in-person, voted absentee ballots must be received by your board of elections by 7:30PM on Election Day. 
    • Voting on Election Day: 
      • Polls in Ohio are open from 6:30AM-7:30PM on Election Day
      • Most students who are registered to vote with a campus address will vote at Langsam Library, but not all. Before you go to your polling location to vote on Election Day, confirm both your voter registration and your polling location! 
      • The Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative is provides free rides to the polls during the early voting period and on Election Day. 
      • Note that you must bring a valid form of ID to vote in-person on Election Day (state of Ohio identification, Ohio driver's license, and passport are all vaid forms of ID in Ohio)
      • 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 show up to the wrong precinct, if you do not have an acceptable form of voter ID, or if the poll workers aren't able to find you in their poll book, you may have to vote using a provisional ballot. You have the right to fill out a provisional ballot, so do not leave without voting provisionally. In order for your provisional ballot to count, you must appear in-person at your Board of Elections within 4 days of Election Day to provide proof of identity. If you vote provisionally and fail to prove your identity within 4 days of Election Day, your voter registration will now be canceled. Learn more about provisional voting via the Ohio Secretary of State's website. 
      • 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).