Are you prepared to vote in the Nov. 3 midterm election in Akron? Monday, Oct. 5 is the last day you can still register to vote — the Summit County Board of Elections will be open until 9 p.m.

And Tuesday, Oct. 5 is the start of early voting in Ohio, where voters can begin mailing in absentee ballots or show up in person at the Board of Elections to vote early.

In-person early voting in Summit County

In Summit County, in-person early voting is offered at the Summit County Board of Elections, which is now located at 1050 E. Tallmadge Ave. in the Chapel Hill neighborhood.

The center will be open for absentee voting beginning Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 8 a.m., with select dates and hours through Nov. 1. 

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In-person early voting times: 

Oct. 6-9 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oct. 12-16 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Oct. 19-23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Oct. 26 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

Oct. 27 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Mail-in ballot application deadline)

Oct. 28-30 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

Saturday, Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 1 from 1 to 5 p.m.

Kingston Williamson, 6, smiles big after his mom, Alonda Williamson, put his “I Voted” sticker on his shirt after coming out to the polls at Arlington Church of God with her during Election Day Tuesday, November 7, 2023, in Akron. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)
Kingston Williamson, 6, smiles big after his mom, Alonda Williamson, put his “I Voted” sticker on his shirt after coming out to the polls at Arlington Church of God on Election Day Tuesday, November 7, 2023. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)

Absentee voting by mail 

If you prefer the convenience of voting from home, you can fill out the absentee ballot request form online — the deadline is Oct. 27 at 8:30 p.m. to make your request. To avoid any delays, apply for one as soon as possible. 

If you prefer to request an application by phone, you can call the elections board at 330-643-5200. After submitting your request, you can track it on the board’s website.

The completed form must be signed and mailed to the Summit County Board of Elections at 1050 E. Tallmadge Ave., Akron, OH 44310. It can also be dropped off directly. 

Changes in Ohio’s election laws recently changed and now require that mail-in absentee ballots must be received at the Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, to be counted. There is no longer a four-day grace period for a mailed-in ballot to arrive after Election Day. 

The U.S. Postal Service said it can take between two and five days for your absentee ballot to be delivered by mail.

If you are returning your absentee ballot in person, it must be returned by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. 

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If you are unable to return your ballot yourself, a family member can do so on your behalf. A new directive from the Ohio Secretary of State requires that anyone returning a completed ballot on behalf of someone else can’t use a ballot drop box. Instead, the ballot must either be mailed or turned in inside the elections office, where the person must sign an attestation form saying they are returning the ballot within the bounds of the law.

Additionally, disabled voters may designate a representative to drop off their ballot, as long as the representative is not their employer or an officer of their union, as long as they deliver the ballot in person and sign the attestation form. 

Important planning dates for Election Day Nov. 3 

Early in-person voting: Select dates and hours Oct. 6 through Nov. 1

Absentee voting by mail: Begins Oct. 6 

Absentee ballot request deadline: Oct. 27 at 8:30 p.m.

Election Day: Polls will be open Nov. 3 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Find your precinct here.

Still have questions? Call the Summit County Board of Elections at 330-643-5200.

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.