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1. When does Vote By Mail/Absentee Voting begin and end?

For primary and general elections, except for uniformed service voters and overseas voters, absentee voting begins 35 days before the day of election. Absentee voting (in-house) ends the Friday before the election (except for voters hospitalized due to emergencies.)

Special elections are elections that are held on a day other than the day of a primary or general election. If the laws governing the special election make it impossible for the absent voter ballots to be printed by the timelines listed in the above section, then absentee voting for the special election begins as many days before the day of the election as reasonably possible. You may contact the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections to learn if a special election is being held in your precinct and, if so, when absentee ballots will be available. Except for voters hospitalized due to emergencies, as further described in part 3 of the Absentee Deadlines section below, absentee voting for special elections still ends the Friday before the election.

Once absentee ballots are available for voting, any eligible voter may receive and return an absentee ballot in person at the County Board of Elections Office or by U.S. Mail.

Note that if you are not an active duty member of Ohio's organized militia (including the Ohio Air National Guard, Ohio Army National Guard, Ohio Naval Militia, and Ohio Military Reserve), an active duty member of the U.S. armed services outside of Ohio, or a U.S. citizen residing outside of the U.S., you are considered a "regular" absentee voter.

2. Who is eligible to vote a Vote By Mail/Absentee Ballot?

Any qualified Ohio voter whose registration information is up-to-date may request a Vote By Mail/Absentee Ballot without stating a reason.

3. What is the application process for obtaining a Vote By Mail/Absentee Ballot?

Ohio law provides separate application processes for different classifications of Vote By Mail/Absentee voters (militia, armed services, overseas, etc.). In all cases, Vote By Mail/Absentee ballots must be applied for in writing. If you are properly registered to vote, you must submit your written request to the board of elections of the county in which your voting residence is located. Your request must contain certain information (described in the following sections) and your original signature. You may, but are not required to, use an application form prescribed by the Ohio Secretary of State (Form 11-A).