"Vote Here" sign
The problem with imposing proof of citizenship requirements, the lawsuit claims, goes back to the motor voter law. That measure states registration agencies may only require the minimum amount of information necessary to determine a voter’s eligibility. Photo: Aidan Mahoney

It’s (finally) here! Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5 at polling locations across the country.

If you’re not one of the 163,290 voters in Hamilton County to vote early or by mail, you’ll need to cast your ballot at your designated polling location between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m on Tuesday. If you’re unsure of your polling location, or if you’ve recently moved, click here to find out where you’re supposed to vote on Election Day.

What to bring

Ohio requires all voters to present a valid photo ID to vote.

  • Acceptable forms include:
  • Ohio driver’s license
  • Ohio ID card
  • Interim ID form issued by the BMV
  • U.S. passport or passport card
  • U.S. military ID, Ohio National Guard ID or VA ID card

These acceptable forms of ID must have a photo and cannot be expired. Poll workers will accept identification that lists your previous address as long as it has not expired and meets all other criteria. Suspended licenses, as long as they are unexpired, are acceptable.

What if I don’t have the correct form of ID?
You can cast a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is used to record a vote if a voter’s eligibility is in question — the content of a provisional ballot is no different from a regular ballot, but it is cast “provisionally” until election officials can verify the voter’s eligibility. Voters who could not provide an acceptable ID when casting a provisional ballot must appear in person at the board of elections to provide proper identification within the four days immediately following Election Day, according to Ohio Law.

What (not) to wear

If you’re thinking of wearing a MAGA hat or Harris-Walz shirt on Election Day, be prepared to leave the merch at home when you actually vote. State rules prohibit voters or poll workers from wearing anything that can be seen as campaigning for or against any candidate, party or issue. This includes buttons, shirts, hats, stickers, tote bags — anything that can be worn or displayed. Even attire that alludes to reproductive rights could prompt elections officials to ask you to remove or cover up the item while inside your polling location. 

What’s on the ballot?

There’s more on the ballot beyond Vice President Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump. View your sample ballot before you hit the polls by clicking here.

This marathon year of presidential politics has been full of twists, from President Joe Biden’s historic withdrawal from the race, to Trump selecting Middletown’s JD Vance as his running mate. 

CityBeat dives into the mystery and controversy surrounding Vance’s rise from Middletown to the presidential ticket in a new limited-series podcast, “Elegy: The Many Myths of JD Vance.” The podcast breaks down Vance’s impact on Middletown’s reputation, Appalachian stereotypes, his track record on the addiction crisis, the elite side of the new MAGA movement and more. “Elegy: The Many Myths of JD Vance” is available now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Senate
The renewed MAGA madness has also taken shape in more than one Trump-endorsed Ohio candidate, and it’s one of the tightest races on the ballot. Ohio’s U.S. Senate contest between Sherrod Brown (D) and Bernie Moreno (R) is not only expected to be close on the state level, but could also determine which political party controls the Senate. The U.S. Senate currently has a tight 51 to 49-seat majority held by Democrats. With Democratic senators from other states opting not to run for re-election, there is a risk that even one incumbent Democratic senator losing could allow Republicans to take control of the Senate, making the stakes particularly high for the Democratic incumbents in tight races, including Ohio’s Sen. Brown.

Gerrymandering

Issue 1 on Ohio’s 2024 ballot proposes a constitutional reform to address gerrymandering and its impact on the state. Voting “Yes” on the issue means you are in favor of a bipartisan citizen-led commission being in charge of drawing Ohio’s voting maps. Voting “No” means you are in favor of keeping the current process in place, which includes elected politicians drawing voting maps.

Since the concept’s first usage in 1812, states like Ohio have faced the effects of gerrymandering, where biased redistricting manipulates electoral boundaries and dilutes voters’ influence on election outcomes. The ballot proposal includes plans to create an independent process for drawing congressional and state legislative district lines by establishing the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission, a 15-member bipartisan board responsible for adopting redistricting plans transparently. It would require districts to be drawn fairly and impartially, making it unconstitutional to favor any political party or individual politician.

Read the ballot language for Issue 1 here.

Ohio Supreme Court

Ohio’s Supreme Court races this year could also shift partisan control and redefine the court’s influence for years to come. Incumbent Justice Michael P. Donnelly (D) faces Judge Megan Shanahan (R), while Justice Melody Stewart (D) is challenged by Justice Joseph Deters (R), who opted to run against her instead of seeking a partial term for his current seat. Candidates Lisa Forbes (D) and Dan Hawkins (R) are competing for Deters’ open seat. If all three Republican candidates win, they would strengthen their control to a 6-1 majority, a dominance that has existed in the court since 1986. Presidential election years put a lot on voters’ plate, making it easy to overlook the smaller local races that still greatly impact our lives.

CityBeat’s fall news interns, Rowan Hetzer and Zurie Pope, identified five local races to consider before hitting the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Read more on these races here:

Related

Related

Related

Related

Related


When will it be over?!

Not soon enough, unfortunately. Election results can take days or weeks to solidify, especially for the presidential race, but it will be hard to ignore those ticking numbers and colorful maps on Tuesday night. If you’re planning to surround yourself with friends and booze on election night, there are several Greater Cincinnati bars and organizations hosting watch parties with live coverage for local, statewide and national races.

Follow CityBeat’s staff news writer Madeline Fening on X and Instagram.

Related Stories

This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 12, 2024.