A provisional ballot is used to record a vote if a voter's eligibility is in question and the voter would otherwise not be permitted to vote at his or her polling place. The content of a provisional ballot is no different from a regular ballot, but it is cast "provisionally" until election officials can verify the voter's eligibility to vote in the particular precinct at that election.

There are several scenarios in which a voter may cast a provisional ballot.

Address Change: A provisional ballot may be used on Election Day if a voter's eligibility is in question, or before (or on) Election Day if a voter has recently changed his or her address and did not update his or her voter registration.

Name Change: A provisional ballot may be used on Election Day if a voter's eligibility is in question, or before (or on) Election Day if a voter has recently changed his or her name and does not provide proof of a legal name change (ex. marriage license or court order) and did not update his or her voter registration.

No Identification: A provisional ballot may be used on Election Day if a voter is unable to provide a valid form of identification.

Before Election Day: If you have changed your name or moved from one Ohio precinct to another and did not update your voter registration prior to the deadline for submitting your change of address (30 days before the election), then you may cast a provisional ballot in person at the office of the board of elections, or a place designated by the board of elections for that purpose, beginning the 28th day before the election.

On Election Day: In the precinct at the designated polling placed based upon your current residential address, or, if you have changed your name and do not provide proof of a legal name change such as a marriage license or a court order or if you have moved from one Ohio precinct to another and did not update your voter registration prior to the deadline for submitting your change of address (30 days before the election) then you may cast your provisional ballot in person at the office of the board of elections, or a place designated by the board of elections for that purpose.

Before your provisional ballot can be included in the official count of an election, the board of elections must confirm your eligibility to cast the ballot, as well as the validity of the ballot that you cast.

If you cast your provisional ballot and provided acceptable proof of identity, you typically do not need to provide any additional information to the board of elections.

Proof of identity: If you cast a provisional ballot and did not provide acceptable proof of identity at the time of voting, you must appear in person at the board of elections to provide such proof within the four days immediately following Election Day, in accordance with Ohio law. List of acceptable forms of identification to validate your provisional ballot.

• Ohio driver's license;
• State of Ohio ID card;
• Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV;
• A US passport;
• A US passport card;
• US military ID card;
• Ohio National Guide ID card; or
• US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card

All photo IDs must have the following:

• An expiration date that has not passed;
• A photograph of the voter;
• The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the Poll List or in the Poll Book

Voter eligibility challenged: If you cast a provisional ballot because your right to vote was challenged at the polling place under R.C. 3505.20, and the election officials either determined that you were ineligible to vote or were unable to determine your eligibility, you must provide any identification or other documentation required to resolve the challenge.

• Any of the following scenarios would require you to cast a provisional ballot on Election Day:

  • Your name does not appear on the official poll list for that precinct, or an election official asserts that you are not eligible to vote or is unable to determine your eligibility;
  • You are unable to provide photo identification. For more information on what is acceptable as proof of identity for voting, follow this link for Photo Identification Requirements.
  • Your name appears on the official poll list for that precinct as having already requested an absentee ballot;
  • Your name is marked on the poll list or signature book with a notation that certain registration mailings have been returned as undeliverable;
  • Your voter registration has been challenged and/or a hearing on a challenge to your eligibility as an elector has been postponed until after Election Day; or
  • Your signature, in the opinion of the precinct officers, does not match the signature on your registration form.

  Name changes: If you have changed your name but have not yet updated your voter registration, you may vote a regular ballot rather than a provisional ballot as long as you have not moved to a new address outside of your voting precinct. You must provide elections officials proof of a legal name change such as a marriage license or a court order that includes your current and prior names. At your polling location or designated vote center, you will simply be asked to complete a change of name form (Secretary of State prescribed 10-L(opens in a new window)).