How to Vote

If you’re studying abroad, you can still participate in U.S. elections by requesting an overseas ballot. The deadlines for voting while abroad vary by the state where you’re registered. 

For students registered in Ohio, here’s what you need to know: 

• to register to vote from abroad, your registration must be postmarked by Oct.7 if sent by mail, or received by Oct. 7, if submitted via email or fax. 
• To request an overseas ballot, your request must be received by Oct. 29. 
• Once you receive your ballot, it must be signed by Nov. 5 and returned by Nov. 9.

For more information on voting abroad, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) website.

Early in-person voting gives you the opportunity to cast your ballot before Election Day. It begins Tuesday, Oct. 8.

Early In-Person Voting in Kent

• Whether you live on-campus or off-campus (but in Portage County), you will need to travel to the Portage County Board of Elections during special days/hours when the state allows early voting
• The process is the same as voting in-person on Election Day, including the need for photo ID
• You can opt to ask for a hand ballot, take it outside to your car, complete your vote, and submit it using the dropbox in the parking lot (this does not require photo ID)

Early In-Person Voting Elsewhere in Ohio

Early voting will take place at the Board of Elections office in the county where the voter registered during special days/hours the state has named.

Early In-Person Voting in Other States

Early in-person voting varies in other states. Visit the Kent State Voting Portal to receive information specific to you and your location.

Voting by mail (absentee voting) offers a convenient way to participate in elections, whether you're in Ohio or another state. Be sure to pay close attention to deadlines and guidelines to ensure your vote is received and counted on time.

Voting by Mail in Ohio

• Voters must request a ballot to be sent to them (address does not have to match their registration address; last four digits of SSN is the only ID info needed)
• Voters must regularly check their mail for their ballot. Check the status of your ballot application by Oct. 8 at the latest.
• Voters must complete their ballot, purchase a stamp and mail it back to the Board of Elections by Tuesday, Oct. 22 to ensure it arrives on time (the USPS may take 14 days to send ballots).
• Note:
  - Technically, you have through Nov. 5* for the Board of Elections to receive your ballot. However, delivery time will require you to mail it by the recommended date of Oct. 22.
   

Voting by Mail in Other States

• Some states require an excuse to vote absentee, a witness signature, a notary, and a copy of a photo ID
• It is important to research these requirements and understand there will likely be longer mail delays

Visit the Kent State Voting Portal to learn more about the requirements for voting by mail.

More information on absentee voting in Ohio can be found on the Secretary of State's website.
 

If you plan to vote in person on Election Day, it’s important to be extra prepared, especially if any travel is required.

Voting in Kent if you live on campus 

• If you live on-campus, you will be assigned to one of three different polling locations–Kent State Recreation & Wellness Center, United Methodist Church, and the Christian Life Center; make sure to research where to go ahead of time
• The poll worker will ask for an ID, confirm your registration (your address does not need to match the address on your ID), and provide you with a ballot and instructions on where to go
• Once complete, you will take the ballot to a scanning machine

Are you registered to vote elsewhere in Ohio? You can still vote in Portage County on Election Day. Here’s how:

• Go to the polling place associated with your KENT address (visit vote411.org to look up this information). 
• Present your valid Ohio Photo ID in addition to your out-of-county registration address, and explain that you are in the right precinct based on your Kent address but would like to move your registration to Kent AND vote provisionally. 
• This ballot WILL COUNT after Portage County calls the home county to make sure there is not a second vote cast.

Voting if you’re an out-of-state student who …

• Lives in Kent and wants to vote in Kent, but is registered to vote out of state, you CANNOT vote in Kent on Election Day.
• Lives in Kent, registered to vote in Ohio prior to the deadline, and have an absentee ballot/mail-in ballot from Ohio, you must drive it to 459 S. Meridian St., Ravenna before 7:30 pm on Election Day.
• Lives in Kent and registered to vote in Ohio prior to the deadline, you can only vote at your assigned precinct with a valid U.S. Passport or a valid Ohio Photo ID. 

Voting elsewhere in Ohio

• You will have an assigned polling place depending on the address you used to register to vote
• The poll worker will ask for an ID, confirm your registration (your address does not need to match the address on your ID), and provide you with a ballot and instructions on where to go
• Once complete, you will take the ballot to a scanning machine

Voting out-of-state

• In-person voting varies in other states. Unless you plan to be at home on Election Day to vote in person while following your home state’s process, you are advised to request that your home state send an absentee ballot to your campus address, complete the ballot, and mail it back to the appropriate office at home.
• If you're a U.S. citizen from outside of Ohio who wishes to vote wherever your home is, visit the Kent State Voting Portal to receive information specific to you and your location.

In-Person Voting Considerations

1. State law in Ohio requires voters who cast their ballot in person to provide ID. This ID must either be a valid Ohio driver’s license or BMV-issued State ID, U.S. Military, Ohio National Guard, or U.S. Veteran ID, or a U.S. Passport.
2. Any registered Ohio voter can vote by mail without ID using just the last four digits of their Social Security Number. A student from, say, California can register to vote in Ohio using their Kent address, request an Ohio absentee ballot, complete the ballot, and submit it to the Board of Elections, without having to provide anything more than last four numbers of their SSN. 

In an emergency, please contact the Portage County Board of Elections Office at 330-297-3511.