Voters in Clinton County can make their voices heard starting Tuesday, Oct. 8 when early voting in Ohio begins and runs through Nov. 3.

This option offers residents the flexibility to cast their ballots ahead of the election, allowing them to avoid long lines and unexpected circumstances (think transportation issues, sick children, work emergencies, bad weather) that may keep them from the polls on Election Day.

How to vote early

Early voting for Clinton County residents takes place at the Clinton County Board of Elections, 111 S. Nelson Ave., Suite 4, Wilmington during the following times:

• Tuesday, Oct. 8 – Friday, Oct. 11: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 14 – Friday, Oct. 18: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 21 – Friday, Oct. 25: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 26: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 27: 1-5 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 28: 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 29: 7:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 30 – Friday, Nov. 1: 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 2: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 3: 1-5 p.m.

As of April 2023, Ohioans are required to show photo I.D. to vote.

Acceptable forms of identification include:

• Ohio driver’s license or State of Ohio ID card
• Interim I.D. form issued by the Ohio BMV (this is the document you receive when you get or renew your I.D. until you receive your new I.D. in the mail)
• U.S. passport or U.S. passport card
• U.S. military I.D. card
• Ohio National Guard I.D. card
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs I.D. card

Did you recently move within Clinton County and updated your voter registration but still need to update your I.D.? An unexpired Ohio driver’s license, state I.D. card, or interim I.D. form with your previous address can be used as a valid I.D. if your current address is listed in the poll book.

Don’t have an I.D.? If you don’t show a photo I.D. at the polling place, you can still vote by using a provisional ballot, which is used if there’s a question about whether you can vote. A provisional ballot is the same as a regular ballot content-wise, but according to the Ohio Secretary of State, “it is cast ‘provisionally’ until election officials can verify the voter’s eligibility to vote in the particular precinct at that election.”

If you cast a provisional ballot and still need to provide a photo I.D., you must visit the Clinton County Board of Elections in person to provide that I.D. within four days after Election Day.

You will also cast a provisional ballot if you’ve moved within Ohio and updated your voter registration after the deadline or if your name appears in that precinct’s poll list as having already requested an absentee ballot.

How to vote by absentee ballot

Voting by absentee ballot is another way to vote early. It’s convenient, too; you can vote from your house, giving you time to research any candidates or issues you may be unsure of.

To get started, you must first print and complete the absentee ballot request form, available at boe.ohio.gov/comoh/Absentee_Request_11-A.pdf and return it to your county’s board of elections. (Are you one of our readers elsewhere in Ohio? You can find your county’s board of elections address here: ohiosos.gov/elections/elections-officials/county-boards-of-elections-directory/.)

You can also call the Clinton County Board of Elections at 937-382-3537 to request an absentee ballot application be mailed to you.

Once you receive your absentee ballot, you can complete it at your convenience.

If you return your absentee ballot by mail, it must be postmarked no later than Nov. 4 – the day before Election Day – and received by the Clinton County Board of Elections no later than four days after the election.

If you return your ballot in person, you – or a relative – must drop it off at the Clinton County Board of Elections no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 5).