Mail-in ballots that arrive late will not count in Ohio's Nov. 3 general election, a change affecting voters in Evendale, Woodlawn, Sharonville and Springdale.

Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 293 on Dec. 19, 2025, eliminating a four-day grace period that previously let mailed ballots arrive after Election Day. Under the new law, all mail-in ballots must reach the Hamilton County Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, or they will not be counted. Military and overseas voters are exempt.

Statewide, 7,800 absentee ballots arrived during the grace period after the November 2024 election, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. Under the new rule, most of those would have counted.

Trevor Martin, a program coordinator for the Ohio League of Women Voters, told the Dayton Daily News that confusion about mail-in voting has been widespread but stressed it remains an option. Questions about mail-in voting have been the most common questions the League has fielded this year, Martin said.

DeWine himself expressed reluctance when he signed the bill. "I normally would veto a repeal [of] this four-day grace period," he said at a Dec. 19, 2025, press conference, according to StateNews.org. "And frankly, that's what I wish I could do."

Voters who still have a ballot in hand close to Election Day can use the Hamilton County Board of Elections 24/7 drop box at 4700 Smith Road in Norwood. The ballot must be in the box by 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3. Voters returning a ballot on behalf of a family member or a voter with a disability must do so during business hours and complete a Ballot Delivery Attestation form, according to the board of elections.

New congressional district lines

Corridor voters may also see unfamiliar names on their ballots. The Ohio Redistricting Commission voted in October 2025 to redraw congressional district boundaries, and about 9% of Hamilton County voters shifted between the 1st and 8th Congressional Districts, according to WCPO.

Hamilton County Board of Elections Director Sherry Poland told WCPO in April that the board mailed postcards to every registered voter with updated precinct, polling location and district information. Voters can confirm their current district and polling location at VoterLookup.OhioSoS.gov.

Key dates

The deadline to register or update voter registration is Monday, Oct. 5. Election boards and the Ohio Secretary of State's Office will stay open until 9 p.m. that day. Voters can register or update online at voteohio.gov, by mail, at local libraries or at Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices. Seventeen-year-olds who will turn 18 by Nov. 3 can register and vote.

Early in-person voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Hamilton County Board of Elections, 4700 Smith Road, Norwood, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. No early voting takes place the Monday before Election Day.

The absentee ballot application deadline is 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Voters casting ballots in person need a valid photo ID such as an Ohio driver's license, state ID or U.S. passport. Voters without photo ID can vote absentee using the last four digits of their Social Security number.

The Hamilton County Board of Elections can be reached at 513-946-8500.