A poll worker stands at the Hamilton County Board of Elections early voting center in October 2025.
If you vote in Hamilton County, your polling location or congressional district could be different for the upcoming May 5 primary. The Hamilton County Board of Elections is mailing postcards with updated details to voters affected by these changes for the 2026 election cycle.
“We consolidated precincts after the last election in November 2025,” said Sherry Poland, director of the Board of Elections. “We had several single-precinct polling locations, meaning only one precinct voted there. With more people choosing mail-in voting and early in-person voting at the Board of Elections, it became inefficient to maintain those locations. So, we merged many of them with nearby polling sites to improve efficiency.”
With fewer polling locations, the Board will also need to recruit and train fewer poll workers.
Some voters will also be placed in new congressional districts. The Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously approved a new congressional map on Oct. 31, 2025, which will remain in effect through the 2030 election.
“About 140,000 of the nearly 600,000 voters in Hamilton County will see a change in their congressional district since the last election,” Poland said. “Some communities that were in Congressional District 1 will now vote in Congressional District 8, and vice versa. Communities on the western side of the county that were previously in District 8 will now be in District 1, so we understand this may cause some confusion.”
Postcards are being sent to all voters, regardless of whether they are affected by the changes. These cards also include important voting details and key dates.
Poland advises all voters to check their registration status.
The deadline to register or update voter information for the May 5 primary is Monday, April 6. On that day, the Board of Elections will remain open until 9 p.m. to accept paper registration forms. Voters can also register or update their name or address online until 11:59 p.m. through the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.
Voters can also register, update their details, or confirm their polling location through the Board’s website, in person at the Board of Elections, at public libraries, or at BMV locations.
For those voting by mail, ballots must be returned to the Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.
Early voting begins April 7.
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