Tri-C Votes
In a democracy, your vote is your voice. Tri-C is proud to be a nationally ranked institution in student voter engagement. We work to give you all the tools to put your voice to use.
Welcome to the 2026 Midterm Election year.
The Primary Election is on Tuesday, May 5.
The General Election follows on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Every election, you have the choice of three ways to vote:
- Vote Early In-Person at the Board of Elections:
- Vote-by-Mail: You must fill out a form to apply for this voting method.
- Vote on Election Day: .
The Primary Election is on Tuesday, May 5. A few facts:
- A Primary Election narrows the field down to one candidate per party for the General Election. To vote in this election, you'll need to declare a party.
- If you don't wish to declare a party - you may vote, but only on Issues.
- Issues on the May 5 Ballot include taxes, levies and permits.
- Issues on the May 5 Ballot include taxes, levies and permits.
Key Primary Dates:
- Monday, Apr. 6 by 9 p.m. - Voter Registration deadline. Register or in-person at any Tri-C Student Life Office, any public library, or at the Board of Elections. You also can get Vote-by-Mail applications at these locations.
- Voting Season Opens
- Tuesday, Apr. 7 - May 3 at 5 p.m. - Early In-Person voting at one place in the County - the Board of Elections. In Cuyahoga County, it's located at 1803 Superior Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114.
- Tuesday, Apr. 7 - May 4 Vote-by-Mail
- Deadline to apply to Vote-by-Mail is April 28 at 8:30 p.m.
- All Vote-by-Mail ballots must be postmarked by May 4, and arrive by 7:30 p.m., May 5.
- NEW: There no longer is a four-day, post-election grace period for mailed ballots. A new law requires you to mail back your ballot to arrive by May 5 at 7:30 p.m., on Election Day, or bring it to the Board of Elections in person on May 5 by 7:30 p.m.
- Election Day – Tuesday, May 5 – Voting at your assigned polling location from 6:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Multiple State and Federal offices will be on the ballot.
- There is a Special Election for the U.S. Senate Seat in Ohio.
- All 15 U.S. House Districts in Ohio will be on the ballot.
- Ohio Executive Offices — In 2026, all six Ohio Executive offices are up for a vote. Also, all current officeholders are term-limited and may not run for their present office. They can, however, opt to run for a different state office.
- On the ballot — Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Auditor and Treasurer.
- Ohio Senate — All odd-numbered Ohio Senate district seats (17) are up for a vote. .
- Ohio House — All Ohio House seats (99) are up for a vote in 2026.
Before any election — Text three friends your voting plan — and encourage them to make a plan, too! #VoteEarlyDay #TriCVotes
National Designations
In a democracy, your vote is your voice. Tri-C is proud to be a nationally ranked institution in student voter engagement (see our current designations below). We work with national, state and local partner organizations — as well as our students, faculty and staff — to give you all the tools to put your voice to use.
Tri-C is proud to work with the Fair Election Center's Campus Vote Project. Each year, students are chosen to work on campus with Government Relations as Democracy Fellows. In total, seven students served in our eighth cohort in 2025.
Tri-C is one of only 275 higher education institutions named as a Voter Friendly Campus in America, earning this designation for the fourth consecutive time. We are a proud member of the 2025-2026 cohort.
We are honored to be one of only 31 institutions named to the inaugural cohort of Ask Every Student Codesigner Campuses in America, working together to support student voter registration and civic engagement.