Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, and Ohioans need to know several important items ahead of the big day.
There is only one official source for Ohio election information – VoteOhio.gov. Around election season, private organizations often encourage voters to participate in the election. These groups usually have honest motives but sometimes provide inaccurate information. To ensure all voters have the correct information ahead of Election Day, it’s best to use VoteOhio.gov. The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office provides VoteOhio.gov as an official resource for vital and accurate election information, such as:
- Finding a polling location
- Voter ID requirements
- Sample ballots
- Absentee ballot tracking
- Election results
- Support for voters with disabilities
- …and much more
Please treat election workers with respect. Unlike other states, Ohio requires its 88 county boards of elections to be managed with bipartisan oversight. This check and balance on the administration of our elections is designed to give Ohioans confidence in the accuracy and integrity of the process. Ohio has more than 40,000 poll workers who contribute their time on Election Day out of civic pride and an appreciation for our democracy. Please treat them respectfully and know each one is doing their best to run an efficient election and provide voters with a positive experience on Election Day.
If you see something, say something. Our office, along with every county board of elections, works hard to provide an accurate, accessible, and secure election. However, we recognize problems or concerns may arise. Voters who experience a problem on Election Day, have concerns about election misinformation/disinformation, or have general questions about the elections process should send an e-mail to Report@OhioSoS.gov or call 877-SOS-Ohio. Please provide as much information as possible, including name, contact information, and the applicable county for our review of the matter.
What to Expect on Election Night: Polls close at 7:30pm. Once every polling location has been confirmed as closed, county boards of elections will begin the tabulation of election results. While no tabulation is done by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, county boards will send the results of their tabulation to our office by a secure fiberoptic connection. Those results will be available on LiveResults.OhioSoS.gov. It’s important to note that these results are all unofficial until the final official canvass is completed and the election is certified by the Ohio Secretary of State (by law within 20 days of the election).
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What happens if there is a line at a voting location when the polls close at 7:30pm? As long as a voter is in line when polls close, they must still be allowed to cast their ballot.
- When are absentee and early votes counted? Ohio will incorporate all valid early votes and absentee ballots received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day into the unofficial election results provided on election night. Unlike many other states, Ohio encourages all county boards to prepare absentee ballots for tabulation ahead of Election Day, allowing for swift reporting upon the close of polls.
- What ballots won’t be a part of the unofficial election results on election night? Any absentee ballot that is received after 7:30 p.m. on election night, as well as any provisional ballots.
- When will final official results be ready? The official canvass that includes all votes, including absentee ballots received within 10 days after the election and any applicable provisional ballots, must be completed by each county by November 29, 2022. Upon a review of that canvass, the Ohio Secretary of State will release the official results.
- What if a website outage occurs? The Secretary of State’s Office and our local, state, and federal partners have backup protocols in place which allow for the periodic posting of election results on OhioSoS.gov. While results won’t be as swift under this scenario, they’ll continue to be accurate. It’s extremely important to note that, while a website outage might result in delayed reporting, it won’t impact the accuracy of election results. Those results are all securely maintained at the county boards of elections, and each vote has a verifiable paper trail to ensure accuracy.