The 2024 election is officially underway in Ohio. 21 news crews spotted lines of people gathered to be among the first to cast their ballots as early voting began.

“One after another, cards, there's hardly any parking spaces. It's wonderful to see democracy at work,” said Michael Mathews, Trumbull County.

It's a sign of the nearly unprecedented enthusiasm this cycle. But it's also the first presidential year since Ohio's new, more restrictive voter ID law has been in effect. 

Between voter purges and the new rules for what ID will be accepted, there are some things you need to be aware of when you cast your ballot. 

“The most important thing to know is to bring their voter ID with them, which has to be a government ID,” said Edrea Mientkiewicz, Deputy director of the Trumbull County Board of Elections.

A valid photo identification can be any of the following:

  • 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 Guard ID card
  • US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card

Also, in August, Ohio removed 154,995 inactive and out-of-date registrations from the state’s voter rolls. That means if you haven't voted in a while, but want to vote for President, it's too late. 

Mientkiewicz said you can easily check to see if you’re still registered.

“You're able to check your voter registration online. You are able to call the Trumbull County board of elections. We'll help you out. And if for any reason you've changed your address and didn't update it, you'll be able to still cast your ballot provisionally,” said Mientkiewicz.

If you cast your vote provisionally, it will only count if your eligibility is verified, meaning you'll still need to show valid identification.

There are lots of ID's that won't count. You can see what forms of ID are acceptable and which forms of ID are unacceptable here.

You can vote early at your county's Board of Elections. You can see where you will go for early voting here