OSU Votes holds voter information event on the Oval in 2021 | Credit: Office of Student Life

OSU Votes holds voter information event on the Oval in 2021 | Credit: Office of Student Life

With election season just around the corner, new and returning students alike may be wondering how to cast their ballot come Nov. 5. 

All students who wish to vote in the 2024 general election in Ohio must be registered by Oct. 7, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s website. 

Registering to vote in Columbus may seem complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to register, based on three different types of students — unregistered first-years, registered first-years and students from out of state. 

In-State Students 

Unregistered first-years from Ohio have two options at their disposal when it comes to registering to vote: in person or online. 

There are two ways that a student can register in person. First, OSUVotes — a student-led movement to register, educate and encourage other students to vote, according to its website — provides in-person registration materials around the university’s campus, including during orientation. 

Meagen Rinard, the assistant director of community and civic engagement with the Office of Student Life, said OSUVotes provides students with all the information they need in order to register to vote correctly. 

“We’re just really making sure that students have the information and tools they need to make the best choice to vote in whatever way they find most beneficial to them,” Rinard said. 

When registering at an OSUVotes table, a student or volunteer will walk students through the process of how to fill out the registration form correctly. After the form is complete, OSUVotes will send the form to the Franklin County Board of Elections. 

“That’s really as simple as it is for in-state students,” Rinard said. 

Alternatively, if a student wants to register online, they can visit the Ohio Secretary of State’s website, which will provide them with a step-by-step guide on how to register. The only requirement for registering online is that the student must provide an Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card number, along with the last four digits of their social security number. 

Students from Ohio counties other than Franklin can vote absentee if they do not wish to register or re-register with their campus address, though they can use their campus address to avoid filling out an absentee ballot — or a ballot sent to a voter by mail-in advance when a voter cannot be present at their polling location on Election Day. 

When requesting an absentee ballot, the ballot must be postmarked no later than the day before Election Day and received by the county board of elections no later than four days after the election, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.

In-State, Registered Students

Students who have already registered at their previous Ohio address are not required to do much in order to update their registration to their campus address. 

Students can visit the Ohio Secretary of State’s website, where — similarly to registering online — they will be provided with a step-by-step guide on how to update their voting registration address. Again, students must provide an Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card number, along with the last four digits of their social security number. 

A student can also use a paper form to update their address, provided on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website, which they can print and send to the Franklin County Board of Elections — located at 1700 Morse Road. 

Out-of-State Students

Rinard said out-of-state students have a few choices to make when it comes to registering to vote. 

For one, a student could register in their home state, and simply vote absentee when the time comes. Be sure to check individual state’s absentee deadlines by visiting the U.S. Vote Foundation’s website. 

If a student wishes to register in Ohio without an Ohio driver’s license or state-issued ID, Rinard said students can complete and mail a paper registration form to the Franklin County Board of Elections or visit an OSUVotes booth to complete a paper registration form.

However, students without an Ohio driver’s license or state-issued ID, passport or military ID can only vote absentee. They will be required to request an absentee ballot from the Franklin County Board of Elections. 

Rinard said one of the biggest challenges students face when registering to vote is not understanding the process. Knowing deadlines, required forms of identification and what to bring with them are all challenges that can be faced by students. 

“I think one of the biggest hurdles is just making sure students know what they need to know in order to be prepared and ready to vote,” Rinard said. “With that, deadlines, and remembering the deadlines and learning the deadlines, especially if they might be coming from a different state that wants to vote here. Deadlines differ from state to state.”

OSUVotes does not have an in-person office, but if a student has questions or concerns they can visit its website to find the tabling schedule or email OSUVotes at [email protected].