Athens County Democratic Party

Register and Vote

Important Dates for the May 5, 2025 Primary and Special Election:

  • April 7 – Deadline to register to vote. You can register online, by mail, or in person at the Board of Elections, 15 South Court Street, Athens. Details here.
  • April 8 – Early in-person voting begins at the Board of Elections; absentee voting by mail begins.
  • April 29 – The deadline to request an absentee ballot. Applications must be received by the board of elections by close of business on April 29.
  • May 4 – Early in-person voting at the Board of Elections ends.
  • May 5 – Absentee ballots returned by U.S. Mail must be postmarked no later than May 5 and received by the board of elections no later than May 10.
  • May 6 – Election Day! The polls are open 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Absentee ballots not mailed may be personally delivered by you or a near relative* to the Athens County Board of Elections at 15 South Court Street, Athens before 7:30 p.m.

Some polling locations have changed. Check your Athens County polling place.

Find all of these dates and more on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.

Register to Vote

Make sure you’re registered to vote no later than 30 days before an election. The deadline to register to vote in the May 6 Primary and Special Election is April 7, 2025

On the Ohio Secretary of State’s website, you can:

You can also register to vote by visiting the Athens County Board of Elections. Remember to bring your driver’s license or Ohio identification card, and be prepared to share the last 4 digits of your social security number.

For questions, contact:
The Athens County Board of Elections
15 South Court Street, #130
Athens, OH 45701
740-592-3201
Athens County Board of Elections website

Absentee Voting by Mail

All Ohio voters whose registration information is up-to-date can vote by Absentee Ballot – you do not have to give a reason. You can request your absentee ballot by:

  • Visiting the Athens County Board of Elections office at 15 South Court Street, #130, Athens; OR
  • Printing and mailing an Absentee Ballot Request Form; OR
  • Emailing the Athens County Board of Elections at athens@ohiosos.gov and asking to be sent an Absentee Ballot Request Form. Include your name, mailing address, contact information, and number of applications needed; OR
  • Calling the Athens County Board of Elections at 740-592-3201 and asking them to send you a form. Include your name, mailing address, contact information, and the number of applications needed.

Once you receive the Absentee Ballot Request Form, please fill it out and mail it to the Athens County Board of Elections OR place it in the Drive-Up Ballot Drop Box located on the left-side curb of Court Street near the Athens County Board of Elections. NOTE: If you are unable to get your absentee ballot into the mail or take it to the drop box yourself, a near relative* may deliver your ballot to the county board of elections but will be required to complete an attestation form. Per the Ohio Secretary of State, you may only use the drop box to deposit your ballot.

In Ohio, you can track your absentee ballot here.

Absentee Voting FAQs

Q. Why is it important to submit an absentee ballot application early?

A. Submitting your application early will give the Board of Elections more time to process applications and ballots; that will avoid overwhelming staff in the days leading up to an election. It also provides more time in case of any unexpected postal delays. So, do a favor for our hardworking friends at the Board of Elections and submit your absentee ballot application early.

Q. Will absentee ballots be counted fairly?

A. Absentee voting is safe and the ballots are counted and added into the election totals on Election Day. Plus, they provide a paper trail that no one can tamper with from afar.

Q. I forgot to mail my Absentee ballot…

A. Absentee ballots not postmarked and mailed by May 5 may be personally delivered by you or a near relative* to the Athens County Board of Elections at 15 South Court Street, Athens before 7:30 p.m. on Election day. If you do not vote your absentee ballot and instead decide to go to your assigned polling place on Election Day, you must vote a provisional ballot.

*Near relative includes the voter’s spouse or the voter’s father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother, or sister of the whole or half blood, or the son, daughter, adopting parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece.