Hamilton County voters can cast an early in-person ballot from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. this week at the county Board of Elections, 4700 Smith Road in Cincinnati, as early voting for the Nov. 3 general election moves through its third week. The Smith Road office is the county’s single early-voting location, and this week’s weekday hours run Monday through Friday before the schedule expands for the final stretch.
Early voting in Ohio began Oct. 6, and the hours are set statewide. After this week, Hamilton County voters will find longer days: Saturday, Oct. 24, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., then Monday, Oct. 26, from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Wednesday through Friday, Oct. 28 to 30, from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The final weekend adds Saturday, Oct. 31, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 1, from 1 to 5 p.m.
Voters who prefer to vote by mail face a near deadline of their own: absentee ballot applications must be received by the board by 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Mailed ballots must reach the board by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to be counted, so voters holding a completed ballot close to the deadline may prefer to return it to the board in person rather than trust the mail.
Hamilton County’s Nov. 3 ballot combines statewide races — including governor, attorney general, secretary of state and Ohio Supreme Court seats — and State Issue 3, the proposed photo ID constitutional amendment, with county and local contests and levies that vary by community and precinct. Because local questions differ across the county’s cities, villages, townships and school districts, officials urge voters to preview their exact sample ballot before they go.
Early in-person voters must present an accepted photo ID under Ohio law, the same identification standard that Issue 3 proposes writing into the state constitution. Voters unsure about their registration status, their sample ballot or what identification qualifies can check through the Ohio Secretary of State’s voter lookup or contact the Hamilton County Board of Elections at 513-946-8500.
For Cincinnati-area voters, the practical advice is to use the calmer midweek window while it lasts. The 8-to-5 hours this week are the last of the shorter weekday schedule; once the Oct. 26 week begins, lines typically build with the longer hours, and the final weekend sessions draw voters who cannot come during the workweek.
Election Day itself is Tuesday, Nov. 3, when neighborhood polling places across Hamilton County will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Anyone still in line at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day is entitled to vote. Early voting ends Sunday, Nov. 1 — there is no early voting on Monday, Nov. 2 — so voters who want the Smith Road option should plan on this week or next.