In Ohio, having a felony conviction does not prevent a person from voting in a state or local election. However, if you were incarcerated, any previous voter registration was likely canceled and you’ll have to register again. Need an ID to vote? You can get a free identification card at any Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles location.

Signal Cleveland collaborated with the women at Jordan Community Resource Center to create this guide. Jordan Center serves women who are in recovery from addiction, survived human trafficking and who are re-entering the community from prison or jail. Scroll down to find a printable flyer with this information.

Do you have a felony? Know your rights!

As long as you are not currently incarcerated, you can vote.

You can still vote if…

You are serving a sentence for a misdemeanor crime.

You are charged with a felony crime but your case is still pending.

You are on probation, community control, parole, house arrest or living in a halfway house or treatment center.

Voting information

If you were incarcerated, any previous registration was likely canceled and you will have to register again. Look up whether you can have a current voter registration at voterlookup.ohiosos.gov/voterlookup.aspx

If you’re not registered to vote, you can register for future elections at https://olvr.ohiosos.gov

Updating your address

Your permanent address is the place you consider a stable address. If you have a temporary address, like a shelter or halfway house, use that location.

If you move, you need to update your address.

Shielding an address

Survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking and stalking can hide their voter registration address from the public. Go to: www.SafeAtHomeOhio.com

Print or download this page

K-12 Education Reporter (he/him)
Paul, a former City Year Cleveland AmeriCorps member based in a charter school, covered K-12 education for Signal Cleveland until August, 2023. Paul joined us from Cleveland Documenters, where he focused on creating infographics and civic tech to make public information more accessible. Paul is also a musician, photographer and graphic designer.