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Absentee Voting

Apply for an Absentee Ballot

Absentee FAQs

Absentee Label Files

Absentee Voting for the Armed Forces or Overseas Citizens

Absentee Deadlines

General Public Absentee FAQs

• Where do I mail my application?

  Absentee Department
  Franklin County Board of Elections
  P.O. Box 182111
  Columbus, OH 43218-2111

  (614) 462-3470 Absentee
  (614) 462-3489 Fax

• Am I eligible to vote by absentee ballot?

  An absentee ballot 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 (discussed below) and your original signature.

• How do I apply for an absentee ballot?

  Your written application for the absentee ballot need not be in any particular form, but it must contain all of the following information:

  1. Your name;
  2. Your legal signature;
  3. The address at which you are registered to vote;
  4. Your date of birth;
  5. One of the following items showing proof of your identification:
  1. Your Ohio driver's license number; or
  2. The last four digits of your Social Security number; or
  3. A copy of your current and valid photo identification, military identification, or a current (within the last 12 months) utility bill (including cell phone bill), bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and current address (including from a public college or university).
  (Note: You cannot use a notice that the board of elections mailed to you as proof of identification.);
  6. A statement identifying the election for which you are requesting an absentee voter's ballot;
  7. A statement that you are a qualified elector;
  8. If the request is for a partisan primary election ballot, your political party affiliation; and
  9. If you want the ballot to be mailed, the address to which you want it mailed.

• What is the deadline to request an absentee ballot?

  To apply by mail, your request for an absentee ballot must be received by the Board of Elections no later then noon on the Saturday before the election.

• What is the deadline to return an absentee ballot?

  The deadlines are as follows for your absentee ballot to be counted:

  1. If returned in person, your ballot must be received by the Franklin County Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
  • Primary, Tuesday May 5, 2009
  • Special, Tuesday August 4, 2009
  • General, Tuesday November 3, 2009
  2. If by mail from anywhere in the United States, your ballot must be postmarked no later than the day before the election
  • Primary, Monday May 4, 2009
  • Special, Monday August 3, 2009
  • General, Monday November 2, 2009

  and received by the Franklin County Board of Elections by the 10th day after the election

  • Primary, Friday May 15, 2009
  • Special, Friday August 14, 2009
  • General, Friday November 13, 2009
  3. If voting by out of country civilian ballot or out of country military ballot, your ballot must be postmarked no later than Election Day and received by the Franklin County Board of Elections by the 10th day after the election (see above for dates).

• How do I vote an In Person absentee ballot?

  In Person Absentee Voting Hours:
  Monday – Friday: 8:00am – 5:00pm

  In person absentee voting will take place at Franklin County Board of Elections, located at 280 E. Broad Street, Columbus Ohio, 43215. In person absentee voting will begin on the 35th day before the date of the election.

  • Primary, March 31, 2009
  • Special, June 30, 2009
  • General, September 29, 2009

• How your Ballot is processed:

  When the board of elections receives your ballot, it will remove the Identification Envelope from the outside envelope. Election officials will compare the information you provided with board records to verify your voting eligibility. Once your voting eligibility is verified, the envelope will be placed with your signed voter statement facing down, the ballot extracted from the envelope, and the ballot stub detached. This procedure ensures the secrecy of your vote. If your ballot is received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, your ballot will be counted on election night after the polls close and reported in the unofficial election results. Ballots received by the tenth day after Election Day and postmarked no later than the day before the election will be counted in the official count that must be completed by the twenty-first day after the election.

For additional questions, call the Board of Elections at 614.462.3100 or Email us at boe@franklincountyohio.gov.