Ohio voters need to be sure they’re registered by the April 6 deadline in order to vote in the May 5, 2026, primary election.

You can register online, by mail or in person, including at any Akron-Summit County Public Library branch or any deputy registrar of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. 

You can also register on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.

To register online to vote, you’ll need an Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card number, a current address and the last four digits of your Social Security number.

On April 6, the Summit County Board of Elections will close at 9 p.m. Any mail-in registration forms must be postmarked by April 6 in order to be eligible for the May 5 election. (Note: The Summit County BOE is now located at 1050 E. Tallmadge Ave.)

Frederica Cohen watches as her ballot processes after she voted in the Nov. 4 general election at the Highland Square Branch Library. Poll worker Eric Starr, center, helped her cast her ballot.
Frederica Cohen watches as her ballot processes after she voted in the Nov. 4 general election at the Highland Square Branch Library. Poll worker Eric Starr, center, helped her cast her ballot. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)

Check your voter registration status online and make a voting plan on the League of Women Voters’ Vote 411 site. If you’re unable to locate your voter registration information but think you are registered to vote, you can contact the BOE – their phone is 330-643-5200.

If you need to update your address, the voter registration form is also the change-of-address form. Any voters without a permanent address can use a temporary one, such as a shelter or halfway house.

Ohioans on May 5 will choose Republican, Democratic and, in some instances, Libertarian nominees for a variety of races, including:

  • Governor and other statewide executive offices
  • U.S. Senate and U.S. House
  • Ohio Supreme Court
  • The state House and Senate
  • Plus, local candidates and issues
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Identification requirements

Ohio requires voters to provide proof of identification when voting. IDs must not be expired, but they do not have to include your current address if it is printed in the list of registered voters.

Voters are no longer allowed to substitute utility bills, bank statements, paychecks or other documents for a valid photo ID. The Ohio MobileID is not a valid form of ID for voting. 

Valid types of identification: 

  • Ohio driver’s license or state ID
  • A U.S. passport or U.S. passport card
  • U.S. military, Ohio National Guard or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card
  • Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV
  • If you forget your ID, you may cast a provisional ballot
  • Find your precinct on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website

Ohioans who are 17 years and older can receive a state ID card at no cost from the BMV. Here’s more information about how to get one. 

Akron resident James Brasiel votes curbside alongside his fiancée Brenda White outside the David Hill Community Learning Center in the Tuesday, Nov. 4, general election
Akron resident James Brasiel votes curbside alongside his fiancée Brenda White outside the David Hill Community Learning Center in the Tuesday, Nov. 4, general election. (Ryan Loew / Signal Akron)

Voter eligibility 

Here is the full list of Ohio’s voter eligibility requirements:

  • You are a citizen of the United States.  
  • You will be at least 18 years old on or before the day of the general election. 
  • You will be a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election in which you want to vote. 
  • You are not incarcerated (in jail or in prison) for a felony conviction. 
  • You have not been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court. 
  • You have not been permanently disenfranchised for violations of election laws.
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Important dates for the May 5 Primary Election

Deadline to register to vote: April 6 

Early in-person voting: Select dates and hours April 7 through May 5

Absentee voting by mail: Begins April 7  

Absentee ballot request deadline: April 28 at 8:30 p.m.

UOCAVA (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) absentee ballots must be received (by mail) by May 9.

Deadline for receipt of mailed absentee ballots: May 5 at 7:30 p.m. (this is new for 2026)

Election Day: Polls will be open May 5 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Are there any new voting rules this year?

There’s one big one, although it doesn’t affect voter registration. 

Previously, Ohio would count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day, as long as they were:

  1. Postmarked by the Monday before the election.
  2. Arrived within four days after Election Day.

But Gov. Mike DeWine signed a law in December that eliminated that four-day grace period.

So now, mail ballots must arrive by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day or they won’t be counted.

Editor’s note: Andrew Tobias contributed reporting to this article.

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.