The Ohio deadline rules

• Registration — 30 days before (ORC 3503.01): registration closes 30 days before an election. When that day falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day — that’s why the 2026 deadlines were Mondays (April 6 and October 5) rather than Sundays.
• Early in-person voting: starts the day after registration closes at your county board of elections and ends at 5 p.m. on the Sunday before Election Day.
• Absentee application: must be received by 8:30 p.m. seven days before the election (ORC 3509.03).
• Absentee return — SB 293 change: since March 20, 2026, a mailed ballot must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to count. Postmarks no longer save a late ballot for domestic voters; military and overseas voters are the exception. Mail early, use a board-of-elections drop box, or vote in person.
• Election Day: polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. If you are in line at 7:30 p.m., you can still vote.

The rules at work: the most recent general election

The same formulas drive every Ohio cycle. Take the general election of Tuesday, November 3, 2026 as an example. Thirty days before was Sunday, October 4, so registration closed on the next business day — Monday, October 5, 2026. Early in-person voting opened the next day, October 6, and ran through 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 1. Absentee applications had to be received by 8:30 p.m. on October 27, seven days out. And every mailed ballot had to be back in the board of elections’ hands by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day itself. Whatever the year or the office, count backwards from Election Day the same way — or pick the date in the calculator above and let it do the counting, including the Sunday and holiday adjustments.

Voting by mail under SB 293

The one rule Ohio voters most often get wrong is the return rule. Before SB 293 took effect on March 20, 2026, a ballot postmarked by the day before the election could still count if it arrived within a few days after. That grace period is gone for domestic voters: the ballot must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, and the postmark no longer matters. In practice that means mailing a completed ballot at least a week ahead, returning it in person to your county board of elections or its drop box, or voting early in person instead. Military and overseas (UOCAVA) voters are the exception and keep the postmark rule.

How to use this calculator

1. Choose an election — one of the listed Ohio elections, or “a different election date” for any future primary, general, or special election.
2. Choose “Show my deadlines” to see the registration deadline, early-voting window, absentee request and return deadlines for that date, with anything already past flagged.

Frequently asked questions

When is the voter registration deadline in Ohio? Registration closes 30 days before an election (ORC 3503.01), moving to the next business day when that day is a Sunday or legal holiday. For the November 3, 2026 general election, the deadline was Monday, October 5, 2026.

When does early in-person voting start in Ohio? The day after the registration deadline, at your county board of elections. It runs through 5 p.m. on the Sunday before Election Day, with hours that vary by day of the week.

What is the deadline to request an absentee ballot in Ohio? Your application must be received by your county board of elections by 8:30 p.m. seven days before the election (ORC 3509.03) — October 27, 2026 for the most recent general election.

Do mailed absentee ballots count if they are postmarked before Election Day? No — not anymore for domestic voters. Under SB 293, effective March 20, 2026, the ballot must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to count. Military and overseas voters keep the postmark rule.

Sources

• Ohio Secretary of State — Important election dates (ohiosos.gov)
• Ohio Secretary of State — Absentee voting (ohiosos.gov)
• ORC 3503.01 — Registration deadline (codes.ohio.gov)
• Senate Bill 293 — ballot return deadline (Ohio Legislature)

Check your county. Early-voting hours vary by day of the week, and local races can add special elections. Confirm your personal registration status and polling place with the Ohio Secretary of State’s voter lookup or your county board of elections.