Before or on Election Day

Voting by Provisional Ballot (R.C. 3505.181)

Every voter must provide proof of identity at the time of voting. A person who casts a provisional ballot and does not provide acceptable proof of identity at the time of voting is allowed to provide such proof within 10 days after the election, in accordance with law.

What is a provisional ballot?

A provisional ballot is used to record a vote if a voter’s eligibility is in question and the voter would otherwise not be permitted to vote at his or her polling place. 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 to vote in the particular precinct at that election.

There are several scenarios in which a voter may cast a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot may be used on Election Day if a voter’s eligibility is in question, or before (or on) Election Day if a voter has recently changed his or her address or name and did not update his or her voter registration.

What Election Day scenarios would require me to cast a provisional ballot?

Any of the following scenarios would require you to cast a provisional ballot on Election Day:

• Your name does not appear on the official poll list for an election, or an election official asserts that you are not eligible to vote or is unable to determine your eligibility;
• You are unable or decline to provide the required proof of identity, which includes a current and valid photo identification, military identification; or a copy of a current (within the last 12 months) utility bill (including cell phone bill), bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and current address (including from a public college or university).
  (Note: You cannot use as proof of identification a notice that the board of elections mailed to you.);
• Your name appears on the poll list or signature book as having requested an absentee ballot;
• Your name is marked on the poll list or signature book with a notation that registration mailings have been returned as undeliverable;
• A hearing on a challenge to your eligibility as an elector has been postponed until after Election Day;
• Your signature, in the opinion of the precinct officers, does not match the signature on your registration form; or
• Your eligibility to cast a ballot has been challenged by the precinct officers.

After I cast a provisional ballot, do I have to do anything to make sure my vote is counted?

Before your provisional ballot can be included in the official count of an election, the board of elections must confirm your eligibility to cast the ballot, as well as the validity of the ballot that you cast.

If you cast your provisional ballot and provided acceptable proof of identity, you typically do not need to provide any additional information to the board of elections.

If you cast a provisional ballot and did not provide acceptable proof of identity at the time of voting, you must appear in person at the board of elections to provide such proof within the 10 days immediately following Election Day, in accordance with Ohio law. The following guidelines apply:

1. If you cast a provisional ballot because you had – but could not provide to election officials at the time you voted – acceptable proof of your identity or the last four digits of your Social Security number, you must provide to the board of elections one of the following:
    
   - Acceptable proof of your identity in the form of a current and valid photo identification;
   -A military identification;
   -A copy of a current (within the last 12 months) utility bill (including cell phone bill), bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document (but not a voter registration notification mailed by a board of elections) that shows your name and current address (including from a public college or university); or
   -The last four digits of your Social Security number.
    
2. If you cast a provisional ballot because, at the time you voted, you had – but declined to provide – an acceptable form of identification or the last four digits of your Social Security number, and you declined to execute the written affirmation statement swearing to your identity under penalty of election falsification, you must provide to the board of elections one of the following:
    
   -Acceptable proof of your identity in the form of a current and valid photo identification;
   -A military identification;
   -A copy of a current (within the last 12 months) utility bill (including cell phone bill), bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document (but not a voter registration notification mailed by a board of elections) that shows your name and current address (including from a public college or university); or
   -The last four digits of your Social Security number.
    
3. If you cast a provisional ballot because, at the time you voted, you did not have any acceptable form of identification or a Social Security number, and you declined to execute the written affirmation statement swearing to your identity under penalty of election falsification, you must provide to the board of elections one of the following:
   
   -Acceptable proof of your identity in the form of current and valid photo identification;
   -A military identification;
   -A copy of a current (within the last 12 months) utility bill (including cell phone bill), bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document (but not a voter registration notification mailed by a board of elections) that shows your name and current address (including from a public college or university); or
   -The last four digits of your Social Security number; or
   -A signed affirmation statement (provided by the board of elections) stating that you do not have any of the above items.
    
4. If you cast a provisional ballot because your right to vote was challenged at the polling place under R.C. 3505.20, and the election officials either determined that you were ineligible to vote or were unable to determine your eligibility, you must provide any identification or other documentation required to resolve the challenge.

If I have recently moved but did not update my voter registration, can I vote a provisional ballot?

Yes. If you are an Ohio voter who moved from one Ohio precinct to another Ohio precinct and did not submit your change of address to election officials by the 29th day before the election, you still may vote in that election by taking the following steps:

1.   If you move from one precinct to another in the same Ohio county, you may report the change and vote using one of the following procedures:        

      (a) During the 28 days immediately before the election, go to your county board of elections office or designated site, submit a proper change of address and provisional affirmation statement and vote a provisional ballot for your new voting address; or

      (b) On Election Day, go to one of the following three places: the polling place in the precinct in which your new voting address is located, the board of elections office, or a site designated by that board of elections; submit a proper change of address and provisional affirmation statement and vote a provisional ballot for your new voting address.

2.   If you move from the Ohio county in which you are registered to vote to another Ohio county, you may report the change and vote using one of the following procedures:

      (a) During the 28 days immediately before the election, go to the board of elections office of the county in which you now reside, submit a proper change of address and provisional affirmation statement and vote a provisional ballot for your new voting address; or

      (b) On Election Day, go to one of the following two places: the board of elections office in the county in which you now reside or a site designated by that board of elections; submit a proper change of address and provisional affirmation statement and vote a provisional ballot for your new voting address.

If I have recently changed my name but did not update my voter registration, can I vote a provisional ballot?

Yes. If you changed your name and did not submit your change of name to election officials by the 29th day before the election, you may report the change and vote using one of the following procedures:

(a) During the 28 days immediately before the election, go to your county board of elections office or designated site, submit a proper change of name and provisional affirmation statement and vote a provisional ballot; or

(b) On Election Day, go to one of the following three places: your polling place for your precinct, the board of elections office, or a site designated by that board of elections; submit a proper change of name and provisional affirmation statement and vote a provisional ballot.