Warren County voters who mail in their ballots for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election face a hard new cutoff: 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, with no grace period.
Ohio eliminated the four-day window that previously let mail-in ballots arrive at county election boards after Election Day and still count. The change already had an effect. In the spring 2026 primary, the share of mail ballots rejected statewide for arriving late rose tenfold compared with the 2024 general election, according to a Voting Rights Lab report.
"We want to make sure all voters know their options. There's a lot of confusion," Trevor Martin, a program coordinator for the Ohio League of Women Voters, told the Dayton Daily News.
Voters who still have a ballot in hand close to Election Day can drop it off at the Warren County Board of Elections, 520 Justice Drive in Lebanon, or use the drop box behind the building. The ballot must be in the box by 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3, according to the county's public election notice.
The absentee ballot application deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 8:30 p.m.
New congressional district lines
Mason and Deerfield Township voters will also see a different congressional race on their ballots. The Ohio Redistricting Commission adopted new U.S. House maps in October 2025, and the Ohio Secretary of State's office confirms they take effect with the 2026 cycle.
Under the old map, Warren County sat in Ohio's 1st Congressional District. Under the new boundaries, the county is no longer part of that district. The specific new district number for Mason and Deerfield Township had not been confirmed by the Warren County Board of Elections as of publication.
Polling location changes in Mason
Two Mason precincts have new polling places, effective since May 2025, according to Warren County Board of Elections records. Precinct 108 moved from the 7th Day Adventist Church on Mason Montgomery Road to Christ's Church, 5165 Western Row Road. Precinct 110 moved to North Cincinnati Community Church, 6170 Irwin Simpson Road. The state required the changes because both precincts exceeded maximum voter thresholds.
Voters can confirm their polling location through the Ohio Secretary of State's voter lookup tool online.
Key dates and details
The voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 5. Election boards and the Ohio Secretary of State's office stay open until 9 p.m. that day.
Early in-person voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Warren County Board of Elections in Lebanon. Hours range from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the first weeks to 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. closer to Election Day. The final day of early voting is Sunday, Nov. 1, from 1 to 5 p.m. No early voting takes place on Monday, Nov. 2. The full schedule is posted at vote.warrencountyohio.gov.
On Election Day, polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. In-person voters must show a valid photo ID: an Ohio driver's license, state ID, U.S. passport or other government-issued card. Voters without photo ID can vote absentee using the last four digits of their Social Security number.
The Warren County Board of Elections, directed by Brian Sleeth, can be reached at 513-695-1358 or [email protected].
