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Ohio – and Hamilton County – residents can begin voting in the Aug. 2 special election on July 6.
Controversy still surrounds Ohio's new unconstitutional district maps, but voters are pressing forward with August's special election anyway.
Early voting kicks off July 6 for the Aug. 2 special election. The election will feature state district races and members of the state central committees for both the Republican and Democratic parties. In Miami Township in Hamilton County, voters also will cast their ballots on the sale of liquor on a Sunday. See all candidates, issues, polling locations and important calendar dates in Hamilton County.
Ohioans can vote in the Aug. 2 special election by mail or in person as long as they are registered and will be at least 18 years old on or before the Nov. 8 general election, have been an Ohio resident for at least 30 days before the August election, and have a state driver's license or identification card and a Social Security number (only U.S. citizens may vote). Residents, including people who have been incarcerated for a felony, must have re-registered to vote by July 5.
Registered voters may cast absentee ballots at their county board of elections office or by mail beginning July 6, with the deadline to request a mailed ballot being the Saturday before the election (or July 30). See the full schedule on Ohio's secretary of state website or information on the Hamilton County Board of Elections website.
Polls also will be open for in-person voting 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on Aug. 2, the special election day (valid identification is required). Find your polling location on the Hamilton County BOE website.
The Aug. 2 special election will mark the first time that Ohioans will vote under the state's new district maps, which the Ohio Supreme Court has repeatedly deemed unconstitutional due to their favoring Republicans. In June, the state's Republican-led redistricting committee ignored the court's deadline for submitting yet another set of redrawn maps. Republican members of the commission have said they can’t be held in contempt for their actions (or, as characterized by critics of the commission’s work, inaction) due to legislative immunity and the separation of powers doctrine they say bars the court from exerting power over the legislative branch.
Looking ahead, the deadline to register for the November general election is Oct. 11. See Ohio's 2022 election schedule on the secretary of state's website.
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