Voter Registration Information
Thank you for being a voter!
Tri-C proudly supports civic engagement year-round with the help of students, faculty and staff and is nationally recognized for its efforts.
Ohio 2024 Voting Dates
Every year, there is a primary and general election in Ohio. The primary election helps decide the final ballot candidate from each party for any elected seats up for vote in the fall general election. In both election cycles, there may be issues up for vote as well. You must be registered to vote 30 days prior to any election.
- The 2023 Primary Election: Tuesday, May 2 — Completed
- The 2023 Special Election: Tuesday, Aug. 8 — Completed
- The 2023 Primary Election - Tuesday, Sept. 12 — Completed
- The 2023 General Election - Tuesday, Nov. 7 — Completed Thanks to all who voted to pass the Tri-C levy!
Next Up: The 2024 Presidential Primary Election - Tuesday, March 19
Presidential Primary Election: Tuesday, March 19
- The Primary Election — open to all Ohio registered voters who are willing to declare a party — is held every spring to decide final party candidates for the Fall Election. It also may have issues on the ballot, which can be offered by the state, county and municipalities. Anyone may vote on the Issues Ballot without declaring a party.
Key Dates for the Presidential Primary Election
- To vote in the upcoming Presidential Primary Election, register online at VoteOhio.gov.*
- Last day for voter registration: Tuesday, Feb. 20.
- Voting season opens the very next day - on Feb. 21.
- Once you're registered, choose how you want to vote:
- Vote-by-Mail: You must fill out an application to vote by mail.
- New Timeframe: Your application must be received by the Board of Elections (BOE) by 8:30 p.m. on the Tuesday before Election Day. A postmark will not suffice.
- For the March 19 Primary Election, your request for a Vote-by-Mail ballot must be at the BOE by Tuesday, March 12, at 8:30 p.m.
- If you have not mailed your application by three days before this date, the BOE suggests bringing it to their offices at East 30th Street and Euclid Avenue. You can place it in the parking lot drop box or take it inside, as Early In-Person voting will be taking place until 8:30 p.m.
- Note: You can request your absentee ballot at any time during the year, as long as you're registered to vote.
- Your voted ballot must be mailed in with a postmark from the U.S. Postal Service by close of business on Monday, March 18.
- If you miss this deadline, you may still place your ballot in the Board of Elections parking lot drop box at East 30 Street and Euclid Avenue by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, March 19th.
- You cannot take your voted ballot to a polling location. Instead, you will vote provisionally — meaning they will reconcile this issue in order to count your vote.
- If you have not mailed your application by three days before this date, the BOE suggests bringing it to their offices at East 30th Street and Euclid Avenue. You can place it in the parking lot drop box or take it inside, as Early In-Person voting will be taking place until 8:30 p.m.
- Early In-Person Voting: This in-person option will be available at one place in Cuyahoga County: the BOE at East 30th Street and Euclid Avenue. Voting hours and details can be found on the BOE website.
- Timeframe: Early In-Person Voting begins Feb. 21 There will be no Early In-Person Voting the day before the election.
- Vote in person on Election Day at your local polling location from 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Your polling location is based on the address on your voter registration and is typically within about a mile or two of that address. Find your polling location.
- Vote-by-Mail: You must fill out an application to vote by mail.
Vote-by-Mail - the details
Once you're registered to vote, you can request an absentee ballot and vote by mail from home. The Vote-by-Mail process has a few steps and takes times.
Here are the key steps and dates:
- Step 1: Request a Vote-by-Mail ballot if you're registered. Fill out a Vote-by-Mail ballot application form to request an absentee ballot. The latest this request can be received at the BOE is the Tuesday before the election at 8:30 p.m.
- Note: Given the volume of requests and the time needed to travel back and forth via the U.S. Postal Service, sooner is always better. There is no way to vote online. The U.S. Postal Service or in-person delivery of your ballot to the BOE are the only choices.
- You can request a Vote-by-Mail ballot in one of four ways:
- If you have online access and a printer: Complete a voter application form online print and mail to the Board of Elections (BOE). Use the "Print Form" option when prompted. (Note: You cannot submit the form online — it must be mailed.)
- If you have online access but no printer: Visit the BOE website and fill in your name and birthday to access the form, using the "Mail Form" option.
- No online access? Call the BOE at 216-443-VOTE (8683) and ask the BOE to mail you a Vote-by-Mail application.
- In Person: Tri-C's Student Engagement offices and public libraries carry both registration and Vote-by-Mail forms, or visit the BOE at 2925 Euclid Ave. in Cleveland. There is an area just inside the back door where you can complete and drop your application. There also is a secure drop box in the parking lot to drop off the form. Live in another county? Simply search for the BOE in your home county.
- Step 2: The day after the voter registration deadline, the BOE will begin mailing ballots. Get in line now and send in your request.
- Note: The process may take some time after your request is received.
- Step 3: Research and vote your ballot from the BOE. Then, mail your completed ballot back to the BOE. Postage is needed on this step. Under state law it must be postmarked by the close of business Monday, the day before Election Day. If you are unable to put it in the mail by that time, you can drop it off in the secure drop box located in the BOE's parking lot at East 30th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland by 7:30 p.m. on the actual Election Day.
Track Your Ballot
New to Vote-by-Mail? Just like you can track a package, you can track the progress of your Vote-by-Mail request and ballot on the BOE website.
The Voting Experience 2023 — Student-led Voting Events at Tri-C
For the sixth year, all four Tri-C campuses have come together to host voter registration events in conjunction with Constitution Day (Sept. 17) and National Voter Registration Day (Sept. 20). Tri-C Democracy Fellows will work with Government Relations, the Mandel Scholars Academy and Student Life to create both in-person and virtual online voting events for The Voting Experience in 2023.
2023 Key Fall General Election Dates - It's been a great year for civic engagement!
- September: The Voting Experience at Tri-C — This year, we're bringing back in the in-person pop-up voting events known as The Voting Experience!
- Western Campus - Monday, Sept. 11 and Tuesday, Sept. 12
- Eastern Campus - Wednesday, Sept. 13 and Thursday, Sept. 14
- Westshore Campus - Monday, Sept. 18 and Tuesday, Sept. 19
- Metro Campus - Wednesday, Sept. 20 and Thursday, Sept. 21
- In the meantime, visit our Tri-C Votes webpage for a one-stop access to all things voting at Tri-C. You'll find links to:
- "Rock the Polls" Voting Anthem and Music Video — Tri-C's voting anthem, written by gospel rapper Corey Bapes, debuted in 2022 and stays with us in 2023. Tri-C Democracy Fellows, student leaders, family and friends join the fun in this student-produced music video and Rock the Polls Dance Challenge.
- September - We will be launching the online Playlist - including the Soap Operas of Democracy - on Tri-C's YouTube playlist. Get ready to learn more about The Votes of Our Lives!
- Sunday, Sept. 17: Constitution Day
- Tuesday, Sept. 19: National Voter Registration Day 2023 (NVRD) — Tri-C is a national partner in the NVRD effort. We were proud to lead the county in voter registrations in 2017, 2018 and 2019. We moved our processes online with the onset of COVID. In 2023, we're looking forward to achieving new goals through a collaboration between students and Student Life participants, Government Relations and our Campus Vote Project Democracy Fellows.
- Watch The Voting Experience 2023 online playlist (includes a new Soap Operas of Democracy series dubbed The Votes of Our Lives).
- Monday, Oct. 10: Last day to register to vote in the general election
- Tuesday, Oct. 11:
- Early in-person voting begins at the BOE through Nov. 5.
- Vote-by-Mail ballots begin getting mailed out for the general election.
- Research your ballot ahead of time. Beginning Oct. 11, you can see your sample ballot at the BOE website. While it's heading your way in the mail, here are two nonpartisan sites to review candidates: VoteSmart.org and Judge4Yourself.com.
- Wednesday, Oct. 26 — National Vote Early Day: Consider making Oct. 26 your personal due date to return a Vote-by-Mail ballot. This gives the U.S. Postal Service time to return your ballot by mail.
- Tuesday, Oct. 31: This is the last possible day applications can be received for Vote-by-Mail absentee ballots for the Nov. 7 general election. Applications must be physically received at the BOE by 8:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 5: Last day of Early In-Person voting at the BOE
- Monday, Nov. 6: Your voted ballots must be mailed via the U.S. Postal Service and postmarked by this date.
- Tuesday, Nov. 7 — General Election Day 2023: In-person voting will be held at local polling locations. (Also, if not mailed by yesterday, Vote-by-Mail ballots must be dropped off in the secure drop box in the downtown Cleveland BOE parking lot by 7:30 p.m. in order to count. They must be taken to the downtown location. They will not be accepted at local polling places.)
Voter Notes
- Voter registration can be completed online at VoteOhio.gov.
- Vote-by-Mail application requests must be printed, filled in and mailed or dropped off at the BOE.
- Vote-by-Mail ballots must be mailed by the day before Election Day. If you missed the deadline, you can drop them off at the BOE at 2925 Euclid Ave. in Cleveland by the end of voting at 7:30 p.m. There is a drop box in the parking lot in back of the building and free parking.
- Ohio Online Voter Registration
Are You Registered to Vote?
We have three questions for you...
- Have you moved in the last five years?
- Have you changed your name, your gender or your marital status?
- If you answered yes to any of the above, your voter registration must be updated.
- Have you ever registered to vote? If not, sign up today and show the country that #TriCVotes!
Tri-C has joined with Google, Facebook, the Cuyahoga County BOE and thousands of partners across the country to annually celebrate American democracy with National Voter Registration Day each September. In 2023, it will be celebrated on Tuesday, Sept. 19.
Remember to register to vote so your voice can be heard each election cycle. It's one way you can truly help change the world.
- All Ohioans can register and make updates online at VoteOhio.gov with a valid address, an Ohio ID or driver’s license and the last four digits of your social security number.
- If you don’t have those at the moment, fill out a paper form here. You can place the form in an envelope and mail it or drop it off to your local BOE.
Facts for Thought…
- In any five-year period, 45% of eligible voters will move. Voter registration doesn't travel with you. Each move requires you to update your address in order to keep voting.
- In half of the country’s most populous cities, less than 20% of the population voted and determined the next mayor. Register now to be heard in each primary and November general election.