Election Day is Nov. 4, and voters have the opportunity to participate in many local and state issues. Voting can be a challenge for college students who may be away from home, where they might be registered to vote.
Early voting is a great resource for college students who won’t be in their hometowns on Election Day. In November 2024, almost 45% of Ohio voters cast early ballots either in person, personal delivery, drop box or through absentee ballots, according to a data chart from the Ohio Secretary of State Office of Data Analytics and Archives.
Early in-person voting began Oct. 7, which gives college students almost a month before the election to cast a ballot at the Board of Elections in the county where they are registered.
Students may want to request an absentee ballot if they are away from home. Registered voters can request an absentee ballot in Ohio from the Secretary of State's website.
Ohio voters must request an absentee ballot by 8:30 p.m. Oct. 28 to be able to participate in the upcoming general election, according to the voting schedule. Additionally, the Board of Elections must receive absentee ballots by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day for their vote to count.
In Ohio, the deadline has already passed for voters who are not currently registered to vote in the upcoming election, but voters can still register at voteohio.gov to participate in the next election.
Adriane Mohlenkamp, co-president of the Athens County League of Women Voters, highlighted the Ohio voting website as a great resource for voters to prepare for the election. The site allows registered voters to look up their polling site ahead of time so they know the correct place to go on Election Day, and voters can look up their sample ballot so they know what issues they will be voting on.
Mohlenkamp also said if voters have additional questions, they can always call their local Board of Elections and the offices will do their best to help provide answers.
Students who want to participate in elections in Athens must change their address at least 30 days before the next election to be eligible to vote in Athens County.
Mohlenkamp said students may also be able to cast a provisional ballot, which is a ballot that is not counted until a voter’s eligibility can be verified. According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, voters may cast a provisional ballot on Election Day if they have recently changed addresses and did not update their voter registration.
Mohlenkamp emphasized voters may be more likely to participate in national elections because they are most prominent in the media, but local elections are just as important.
“It’s important for all of us that we get out and make our voices heard about those things that we see in the community,” Mohlenkamp said. “It can be, in some ways, more rewarding because you are more likely to see not only the impact of those votes, but the actual people and politicians you elect.”
Stephanie King, senior director of strategic initiatives at the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, said youth voter turnout has been limited in recent elections. She hopes that young voters will utilize resources to become more civically engaged and have their voices heard.
Of the 2024 early voters in Ohio, almost 7% were 18-24. On the other hand, almost 40% of the early ballots were cast by voters 65 or older.
“More than half of young people ages 18 to 29 didn’t cast a ballot in recent elections, and it’s mostly because they were feeling that they were too unqualified or uninformed to participate in our democracy,” King said. “It’s our role not to influence who or what they’re voting for, but to help them understand and overcome challenges.”
