A voting plan is just what it sounds like: figuring out ahead of time how and when you will vote.

The pandemic means a lot has changed about voting. Some polling locations are changing, and in the city of Cleveland, we anticipate a significant uptick in mail-in ballots.

These changes mean that if voters wait until the last minute to request a ballot or figure out where their polling place is, they could discover they are unable to vote, or they might give up in the face of more complicated logistics.

We want to be sure that city of Cleveland voters get to vote. 

Here's how to make your personal voting plan:
 

First: Make sure you're registered:

You must be registered to vote at least 30 days before an election. Every Ohioan should regularly confirm that they are properly registered to vote. 

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You can check your Voter Registration here

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Second: How will I submit my ballot?

There are three ways to submit your ballot in the General Election of November 2021 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio:

1. Vote By Mail/Absentee:

Request a Vote By Mail Ballot here

Track your  ballot request and your ballot here

Complete: After you receive your ballot, complete it. You can plan ahead by seeing a sample of your ballot here

Submit: Using TWO regular first class stamps (the ballot postage costs $0.70), mail your ballot back to the Board of Elections OR hand-deliver your ballot to the Board of Elections, as explained here

If you have questions about your Vote-by-Mail ballot request, call the Board of Elections at 216-443-VOTE (8683) or track the status of your ballot request at www.443vote.us.

More info about Vote By Mail: https://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/voters/absentee-voting/#gref

2. Early Voting (in person) at the Board Of Elections

Cuyahoga County voters can vote in person at the Board of Elections.

Make your plan:

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What day will I go?
How will I get there?
Is anyone going with me?

NOTE: All Vote-by-Mail / Absentee ballots returned in person must be received at the Board of Elections NO LATER THAN 7:30 p.m. on November 2, 2021 in order to be counted.

3. Voting on Election Day at my polling place

Election Day is November 2, 2021 in the United States of America.
Polling places are open from 6:30 AM until 7:30pm.

Where is my polling place? Make sure you go to the correct location. Find your polling location here. There is no in-person voting at the Board of Elections on November 2, 2021.

Make your plan:

What time am I going to go?
How am I going to get there?
What do I need to take with me in case I have to wait in a long line? (Mask, hand sanitizer, water bottle, snacks, phone charger, sample ballot, meds, etc)

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Third: What do I need to vote?
 

Ohio law requires that every voter, upon appearing at the polling place to vote on Election Day, must announce his or her full name and current address (the address at which you're registered to vote), and provide proof of identity. The forms of identification that may be used by a voter who appears at a polling place to vote on Election Day include:

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• An unexpired Ohio driver’s license or state identification card with present or former address, so long as the voter’s present residential address is printed in the official list of registered voters for that precinct;

  • ​NOTICE: An unexpired Ohio Driver License, State ID Card, or Interim Documentation with your former address IS an ACCEPTABLE form of ID when your current address is in the pollbook.

  • NOTE: On July 2, 2018, the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles began issuing a new format of Ohio’s driver licenses and state identification cards. The BMV is also issuing Ohio Interim Documentation until the applicant receives their new ID through the mail. A driver’s license or state identification card in the old or new format, the Ohio Interim Documentation, and a voter’s old, hole-punched driver’s license or state ID card are acceptable forms of identification for voting, as long as the expiration date has not passed.

  • If the voter changed their name and provides proof of the legal name change, completes and signs Form 10-L, and is registered within the precinct, the voter’s name as it appears on the photo ID may or may not be the voter’s reported change of name.

• A military identification;

• A photo identification that was issued by the United States government or the State of Ohio, that contains the voter’s name and current address and that has an expiration date that has not passed;

​(For the following forms of identification, "current" is less than 12 months old.)​

• An original or copy of a current utility or cell phone bill with the voter’s name and present address;     

• An original or copy of a current bank statement with the voter’s name and present address;

• An original or copy of a current government check with the voter’s name and present address;

• An original or copy of a current paycheck with the voter’s name and present address; or

• An original or copy of a current other government document (other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections) that shows the voter’s name and present address, including license renewal and other notices, fishing and marine equipment operator’s license, court papers, or grade reports or transcripts. 

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If you do not have any of the above forms of identification you may cast a provisional ballot. To do so you must provide either your Ohio driver’s license number, state identification number (which begins with two letters followed by six numbers), or the last four digits of your Social Security number.  Once the information is reviewed and verified by the board of elections, your ballot will be counted.

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If you do not provide one of the above documents, your driver’s license/state identification number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number at the precinct, you will still be able to vote using a provisional ballot. However, in order for that ballot to be counted, you must return to the board of elections no later than seven days following Election Day to provide a qualifying form of identification. Follow this link for more information on provisional ballots.

Who will I vote for?
A good part of your voting plan is to know who you plan to vote for before you arrive. 

You can see ahead of time what your ballot will look like here

Some useful websites when education yourself about the issues and candidates include:
 
Vote 411 from the League of Women Voters here

Judge for Yourself here

Frequently Asked Questions about voting in the November 2020 General Election can be found here