STUDENTS: REGISTER & VOTE IN OHIO

1. REGISTER

Eligible Ohioans who will be 18 by November 3, 2026 can register for the general election.

REGISTER ONLINE

Registration deadline: October 5, 2026. The Ohio Secretary of State lists October 5 as the registration deadline for the November 3, 2026 election.

2. CHECK

Already registered? Confirm your status and current information.

CHECK / FIND VOTER INFORMATION

3. MAKE A VOTING PLAN

• Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
• Early in-person voting begins: October 6, 2026
• Absentee voting by mail begins: October 6, 2026
• Absentee ballot application deadline: October 27, 2026 at 8:30 p.m.

OHIO VOTING INFORMATION

4. CHECK YOUR ID

Ohio requires an accepted, unexpired photo ID for in-person voting.

OFFICIAL ID REQUIREMENTS

NEED HELP? USEFUL NONPARTISAN LINKS

VoteRiders: Free, nonpartisan help understanding Ohio voter-ID rules and obtaining acceptable identification.

VOTE411: Nonpartisan candidate, ballot and election information from the League of Women Voters Education Fund.

The Civics Center: Ohio high-school registration information, data and student-led drive resources.

Kids Voting Ohio: Nonpartisan civic and voter education for Ohio students and schools.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

• Become a poll worker through Youth at the Booth — high-school students age 17+ may be eligible.
• Register classmates through a nonpartisan school drive.
• Volunteer with qualified nonprofit, nonpartisan civic organizations.
• Help classmates understand Ohio’s photo-ID rules.
• Share official registration and voting information.

HOW IS OHIO DOING?

23% of Ohio’s 18-year-olds were registered as of May 2, 2026, compared with 77% of adults age 45+. About 150,000 Ohioans turn 18 each year.

Important: Display the registration rate together with its snapshot date and election-cycle context.

EXPLORE THE DATA

SCHOOLS, PROGRAMS & COMMUNITIES TO WATCH

Grads Vote

Ohio Secretary of State initiative that sent 153,750 voter-information packets to 1,209 high schools in May 2026. The packets included voter-registration information and information about serving as an Election Day poll worker.

Learn more about Grads Vote

Youth at the Booth

Student poll-worker program for high-school students age 17+. Ohio’s Secretary of State confirms that students who are at least 17 and enrolled in high school can serve as poll workers through the program.

Learn more about Youth at the Booth

Counties to investigate

Van Wert, Putnam, Henry, Fulton, Mercer, Madison and Delaware counties outperformed the statewide 18-year-old registration rate in the May 2, 2026 snapshot. These are communities to investigate, not yet verified best-practice models.

EXPLORE OHIO ELECTION DATA

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM OHIO?

Ohio has substantial infrastructure, but the statewide rate remains low. A key lesson is that distributing information is not the same as ensuring registration. Schools and the state may benefit from shifting toward measurable outcomes: what percentage of eligible students actually registered?

SIMPLE IDEAS ANY SCHOOL CAN COPY

1. Identify every student who becomes eligible.
2. Give every eligible student a direct opportunity to register.
3. Use a QR code/direct official registration link.
4. Use student ambassadors.
5. Give students time during the school day to register or check status.
6. Contact students as they become eligible.
7. Follow up rather than assuming a distributed link produced registration.
8. Set a measurable school goal.
9. Partner with election officials and qualified nonpartisan organizations.
10. Recruit student poll workers.
11. Help newly registered students make a voting plan.
12. Repeat the effort for students who become eligible later.

WHAT CAN SCHOOLS DO BEFORE NOVEMBER 3?

August–September

Find eligible students, recruit student leaders, schedule registration opportunities, and partner with election officials and qualified nonpartisan organizations.

Before the registration deadline

Register and verify. Give students direct access, solve ID/documentation barriers, confirm registration, and follow up.

After registration

Turn registration into voting: check status, understand ID, find your polling place, understand early/mail voting, view a sample ballot, and make a specific voting plan.

WHAT CAN STATES DO?

13. Permit preregistration earlier.
14. Make high-school voter registration a normal expectation.
15. Give schools direct, usable tools and links.
16. Track measurable school-level outcomes where appropriate.
17. Recognize high-performing schools.
18. Study and spread successful practices.
19. Support student-led registration.
20. Connect registration with poll-worker programs.
21. Provide repeated opportunities.
22. Create both a fall 2026 strategy and a Class of 2027 strategy.

NONPARTISAN COMMITMENT

Your Voice Matters provides voting information and highlights official government resources and nonprofit, nonpartisan voter-registration, voter-education and civic-engagement organizations. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement of any candidate, party or political position.

Updated August 8, 2026.