United States Elections   Tags: government  

What are the qualifications to register and to vote in Ohio?

You are qualified to register to vote in Ohio if you meet all the following requirements:

1. You are a citizen of the United States;
2. You will be at least 18 years old on or before the day of the next general election. (If you will be 18 on or before November 8, you may vote in the primary election to nominate candidates, but you cannot vote on issues or party central committees until you are 18);
3. You will be a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election in which you want to vote;
4. You are not incarcerated (in prison or jail) for a felony conviction under the laws of this state, another state, or the United States;
5. You have not been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court; and
6. You have not been permanently disenfranchised for violating the election laws.

You are eligible to vote in elections held in your voting precinct 30 days after you are duly registered to vote in this state. You may request an absentee ballot during that 30 day period.

May a college student register and vote from his or her school address in Ohio?

It depends. A college student may vote using his or her Ohio school residence address if the student does not intend to return to a different permanent address. When a college student registers to vote from his or her school address, the school residence is considered to be the place to which the student's habitation is fixed and to which, whenever the student is absent, the student intends to return, and is considered by the student to be his or her permanent residence at the time of voting. Any other previous residence for voting purposes is no longer valid. It is illegal for a person to register and vote from two different addresses.

Voter apathy is dangerous.  Political disagreements can polarize the political machine to the point of lethargy.  Be informed of the issues and choose candidates you feel will benefit your national, state, local governments and you personally.  Research and read the various speeches, political platforms and press releases of the candidates, information on the various state and constitutional issues.  The University Libraries provides access to hundreds of newspapers, magazines, professional journals and other online content.  Use our resources to find more information on political issues and candidates.  Below is a short list of commonly used article and government information databases: