Ohio: How to Vote, Where to Vote and What’s on the Ballot

On Election Day, voters in Ohio will decide on two ballot measures: one on abortion rights and one on the recreational use of marijuana.

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A voter in Ohio during a special election in August. Voters in the state will now decide whether to amend the state constitution to protect access to abortion.

Ohio voters will decide Tuesday on ballot measures that would add the right to an abortion to the state’s constitution and legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

Abortion rights supporters have been on a winning streak with ballot measures across the country, but their battle in Ohio may be particularly tough.

Here’s what else to know:

How to vote

In-person voting in Ohio will take place from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday.

Voters must bring a valid form of identification, like a driver’s license or state identification card, to their polling sites. A law that went into effect this year changed what kinds of identification may be used to vote in Ohio, requiring voters to show photo IDs at the polls. Forms of identification like utility bills or pay stubs are no longer eligible.

The secretary of state’s website maintains a full list of acceptable types of ID.

Only Ohio residents who have already registered to vote may cast a ballot; the deadline for new voters to register for this election has passed. Voters who are not sure if they are registered can check by entering their name into Ohio’s Voter Search tool.

Where to vote

Voters can find their polling place selecting their county and home address on the secretary of state’s website.

It’s too late to return an absentee ballot by mail, but registered voters who received one but did not mail it before the Monday deadline may still deliver it by hand to their local board of elections.

What’s on the ballot

Ohio voters will weigh in on two ballot initiatives Tuesday. The first, State Issue 1, would amend the state constitution to protect access to abortion in the state. The amendment does not place a particular limit on when in a pregnancy an abortion may occur, though it would allow lawmakers to restrict abortions after viability in separate legislation after the initiative is passed.

The other measure on the ballot, State Issue 2, would legalize the sale and use of marijuana by Ohioans who are 21 or older. The drug is legal for medical use in Ohio.

Voters can find a sample ballot for their county, complete with local elections, on the Ohio secretary of state’s website.