County election boards are open to voters through the Sunday before Election Day.

Here’s the early voting schedule:

Oct. 8-11: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oct. 14-18: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oct. 21-25: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Oct. 26: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Oct. 27: 1-5 p.m.

Oct. 28: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 29: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Oct. 30 to Nov. 1: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 2: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Nov. 3: 1-5 p.m.

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Absentee ballots: Those wanting to vote by mail should fill out an absentee ballot application. That application can be dropped off at or mailed to a local county board of elections office.

This form must be received by the seventh day before Election Day; during this election, that would be Oct. 29. Election boards will be open until 8:30 p.m. that day.

Election board workers will send off an absentee ballot to the applicant’s address. The voter can return the completed absentee ballot by mail, and it must be postmarked no later than the day before Election Day and received by your county board of elections no later than four days after the election.

Voters can also return their absentee ballots to their election board in person, or a near relative can deliver it on their behalf. The board of elections must receive the ballot no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

Election Day: Voters can confirm their polling locations at VoterLookup.OhioSoS.gov.

New rules for drop boxes

Counties also have election drop-off boxes for ballots, but during this election season, voters can only drop off their personal ballots at the box.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose in August ordered that drop boxes only be used for a person delivering his or her own ballot.

The state election office requires that people dropping off absentee ballots for others go into the board of elections office to hand in the ballots and sign a form attesting they are following the law.

This differs from previous elections, where relatives could drop off ballots for their loved ones by using a drop box. Critics of the new rule say it complicates voting for people with disabilities.

Election boards were asked to post signs at their drop boxes, flagging voters to the new rules, said Warren County Board of Elections director Brian Sleeth. He is also the immediate past president of the Ohio Association of Election Officials.

But more clarity is needed regarding drop boxes, as some election boards are weighing decisions about staffing and security around their drop boxes, Sleeth said.

The new requirement for drop boxes is being challenged in the Ohio Supreme Court through a complaint filed on Sept. 27 by two Ohioans and the Ohio Democratic Party.

Voter ID changes

Voters wanting to cast a ballot in-person should make sure they bring a valid photo ID to the polls to comply with voter ID laws that went into effect last year.

Valid forms of identification include an Ohio driver’s license, a U.S. passport or passport card, a State of Ohio ID card, an interim ID form issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, a U.S. military ID card, an Ohio National Guard ID card, or a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card.

All ID cards must be unexpired, have a photograph of the voter and include the voter’s name as it appears on the poll list. An unexpired ID with a voter’s former address is an acceptable form of ID when the person’s current address is in the poll book, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office.

Invalid forms of identification include out-of-state driver licenses and Social Security cards, as well as bank statements, government checks, paychecks, utility bills and more. Ohio’s new mobile ID will also not be accepted at voting locations.

Last spring, Ohio began issuing free state ID cards to people 17 and older. In order to obtain a state ID card, applicants must provide proof of their full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, citizenship and Ohio street address.

Ohioans can still cast a ballot without a photo ID — they just have to vote absentee. People can both register to vote and vote by mail using only the last four digits of their Social Security number.

What to know

The deadline to register to vote or update voter registration for the Nov. 5 election was Monday. Polling locations will open across the state at 6:30 a.m. on Election Day and stay open until 7:30 p.m.

Contacting election boards

Butler County

1802 Princeton Road, Suite 600, Hamilton, OH 45011. Office Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (513) 887-3700 Fax: (513) 887-5535. E-mail: butler@OhioSoS.gov. Website: elections.bcohio.gov

Warren County

520 Justice Dr., Lebanon, OH 45036. Office Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Telephone: (513) 695-1358 Fax: (513) 695-2953. E-mail: wcboe@warrencountyohio.gov. Website: vote.warrencountyohio.gov