What Dublin voters need to know about mail-in and early voting after Supreme Court ruling

Dublin voters who heard about a Supreme Court ruling on mail-in voting this month can set the worry aside: the rules they will use this November are the same ones Ohio has been using, and Franklin County Board of Elections director Antone White says there has been no change.

On September 14, the U.S. Supreme Court declined the Trump administration's request to let the U.S. Postal Service enforce new mail-in voting restrictions for the 2026 midterms, leaving existing state-run mail-ballot systems in place while the case continues. The court's action was a temporary block tied to the 2026 election, not a final ruling on the legality of the underlying mail-voting policy.

"The rules we have in place are the same rules that we've been using here in Ohio … So there's been no change," White said. "So voters should feel confident to request their ballot by mail." White said the blocked federal guidelines would have been nearly impossible to implement before the election and that he was relieved the court brought some finality to the issue.

The one hard deadline Ohio voters should note is that completed absentee ballots must be received by the board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to count — Ohio has no postmark grace period.

Which county handles your ballot

The City of Dublin spans Franklin, Delaware, and Union counties, and which county board of elections handles a voter's ballot depends on the voter's home address. Dublin residents register and vote through their own county board of elections: Franklin County residents go through the Franklin County Board of Elections, Delaware County residents through the Delaware County Board of Elections, and Union County residents through the Union County Board of Elections. Because the county line runs through the city, neighbors on opposite sides of the Scioto can face different drop-box locations and board-of-elections offices this November.

The dates that matter

The 2026 Ohio General Election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, with polls open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The deadline to register to vote for the November 3 general election is Monday, October 5, 2026. Military and overseas (UOCAVA) absentee voting for the November 3 general election already began on September 18, 2026. Ohio absentee ballot applications for the November 3 election must be received by the board of elections by 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the seventh day before Election Day.

Franklin and Delaware counties

Franklin County early in-person voting runs October 6 through November 1, 2026 at the Franklin County Board of Elections, 1700 Morse Road, Columbus; there is no early voting on Monday, November 2. Franklin County early-voting hours are 8 a.m.–5 p.m. weekdays October 6–23; 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday October 24; 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. October 26 and 28–30; 7:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. October 27; 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday October 31; and 1 p.m.–5 p.m. Sunday November 1. Franklin County voters can request an absentee ballot online through the board's self-service portal, by phone, or using a PDF application. Franklin County provides a 24/7 secure ballot drop box at 1700 Morse Road, Columbus, OH 43229 for completed ballots, absentee applications, and voter registration forms.

The Delaware County Board of Elections is located at 2079 US Highway 23 N, Delaware, OH 43015, with office hours Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Delaware County's 24/7 absentee ballot drop box is behind the Board of Elections building at 2079 U.S. Hwy 23 N, Delaware, OH 43015; it is camera-monitored, checked twice daily, and opens on the first day of early absentee voting. Voter registration forms and absentee ballot request forms can be submitted at any Delaware County District Library branch or at the Delaware County Board of Elections. The Delaware County Board of Elections announced its next board meeting is scheduled for September 22, 2026.

What to do now

Confirm which county you live in — Franklin, Delaware, or Union — because that decides which board of elections handles your ballot and which drop-box locations apply to you. Check your voter registration before Monday, October 5, 2026, the registration deadline for the November 3 general election. If you vote by mail, request your absentee ballot early enough that your application reaches your board of elections by 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, and return your completed ballot so it is received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Note your county's early-voting hours and drop-box locations — Franklin County's early voting at 1700 Morse Road, Columbus, and Delaware County's 24/7 drop box behind 2079 U.S. Hwy 23 N, Delaware — and mark the dates on your calendar.

The Supreme Court ruling changed nothing for Ohio voters — but the dates that matter are already here.