BGSU Votes
BGSU Votes is committed to supporting students by providing election information and resources around voter engagement.
BGSU Votes is a nonpartisan, student-led initiative focused on voter and political engagement to increase the knowledge and develop the skills of students to engage in democracy, politics, policymaking, and social action. We are a campus resource for election information, presentations, and collaborations.
BGSU Votes is a partnering campus with the following organizations:
Looking for voting resources?
Find them here.
The 2024 General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Important dates regarding the election can be found beow. For more information on specific early voting information or absentee ballot requests, please visit the Secretary of State website.
| Oct. 8 - Nov. 3, 2024 | Early Voting |
| Nov. 5, 2024 | Absentee Ballot Applications Due at 7:30 P.M. |
| Nov. 5, 2024 | Election Day |
In Ohio you are required to register to vote at least 30 days before an election. Other states have different registration requirements and deadlines. Students may choose to register to vote in their college/university community or back in their hometown. Each time you move to a new address you must update your voter registration address.
For more registration resources including verifying your registration, registering online, and more:
In many states, including Ohio, there are multiple methods you can utilize to vote. You can:
- Vote early in person,
- Vote early by absentee ballot, or
- Vote on Election Day.
Each has a process that requires some planning on your part and below we have curated some helpful tools to make your voting experience great.
Local Boards of Elections will have the most current information for voters. Below are a few links to the common boards of elections websites in Ohio for BGSU students:
- Wood County
- Lucas County
- Erie County
- Huron County
- Sandusky County
- Lorain County
- Ohio County Boards of Elections Directory
For more information on absentee ballot application, your polling location and more:
Want to volunteer with BGSU Votes? We are always in need of volunteers to help register voters, inform students of upcoming elections, and work on special projects to foster a climate of political engagement on campus.
BGSU is a part of the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement. Each even election year a report of student voter registration and participation is compiled to better understand student voter engagement at BGSU. This study is coordinated by the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education at Tuft's University's Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life.
A collection of reports from the last three election years can be accessed below.
View BGSU's 2018 Midterms Report
To compare voting rates for students at institutions in the state of Ohio, view this report.
An absentee ballot allows you to vote by mail. If you are a registered voter, your local board of elections will send out an absentee ballot application and corresponding deadline to submit. They will then send you your ballot by mail and you complete it and send it back to your local board of elections.
If you did not get an absentee ballot by mail, you can request one online at longdistancevoting.org. Remember, you must be registered to request an absentee ballot.
Students who live on campus and are registered to vote at their on campus address can access a Voter Identification Letter, which is accessible through your MyBGSU portal. See instructions for how to access this letter.
Students registered to vote at an off campus address should consult the voter identification requirements at the Ohio Secretary of State website.
If you are voting early in person, you will need your Ohio Driver's License or State ID number or the last 4-digits of your Social Security Number.
Early voting is a convenient option to cast your ballot before election day. Many voters are out of town on election day, cannot make it to the hours of voting on election day because of work, or have other extenuating circumstances.
Each county handles early voting differently. Before the election, determine the early voting location and times in the county in which you are registered to vote. For those of you registered in Bowling Green, the early voting location is a short walk from campus at the Wood County Courthouse (located in the building with the tall clock tower near downtown Bowling Green, or 1 Court House Sq., Bowling Green, OH).
If you are registered you can find your polling location using the state voter information website.
Find the official address list on the Residence Life webpage.
Yes, you will have to register using your address on-campus or off-campus in Bowling Green.
Many students decide to register to vote in the town they attend college/university. As a student you have the right to register and vote in the place that you consider to be truly "home". We recommend that you speak to your friends and family to help you make the decision about where you would like to vote.
House Bill 458 was signed into law by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on Friday, January 3rd, 2023 and takes effect on Friday, April 7th, 2023.
Please look over the new Ohio voter ID laws along with any other changes to Ohio voting laws that you may need to know.
Updated: 11/08/2024 09:03AM