Ohio Voter Resource Guide
Important Dates for 2025
As voters we have several important dates to be aware of. Here are a few dates you should be mindful of:
Ohio Special Election
August 5, 2025 - Polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. If not returned by mail, absentee ballots must be received by your board of elections by 7:30 p.m.
Ohio Special Election, In-Person Voting Hours
July 30 - August 1: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
August 2: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
August 3: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
2025 General Election
November 4, 2025 - Polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Military & Overseas Absentee Voting
Begins September 19, 2025
Deadline to Register to Vote
October 6, 2025 (Boards open until 9:00 p.m.)
Early In-Person Voting
October 7, 2025 and includes the Saturday and the Sunday before Election Day
Absentee Voting By Mail
Begins October 7, 2025
Vote by Mail/Absentee Early Voting Deadline
To be received by Board of Elections by September 2, 2025 at 8:30 p.m.
Food Assistance Resources
During the SNAP/EBT Pause
If your SNAP or EBT benefits have been paused due to the federal shutdown, here are local programs, food banks, and community fridges offering support across Cleveland, Ohio
📍 Cleveland, OH (Cuyahoga County)
Bishop William M. Cosgrove Center
1736 Superior Ave., Cleveland 44114 Monthly Pantry (3rd Wed & Fri)
+ Emergency Pantry (Mon–Fri, 2:30–3:30 p.m.)
For residents of ZIPs 44114/44115
Fatima Family Center
6600 Lexington Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44103
Last Tuesday of every month
Good Shepherd Family Center
140 Richmond Road
Euclid, OH 44143
Tuesdays 5:30–7 p.m. | Thursday & Saturday: Noon
Calvary Reformed Church Food Pantry
1918 W. 65th Street
Cleveland, OH 44102
2nd & 4th Fridays, 12–4 p.m.
Serves ZIP 44102
Walk of Faith Community Center Food Pantry
12833 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44111
Wednesdays, 6–7:30 p.m.
Serves ZIPs 44111 & 44135
West Side Catholic Center
3135 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
Daily meals, groceries, clothing & case management
One Stone Church Meal Ministry
91 Public Square
Cleveland, OH 44113
Hot meal service Saturdays, 12–1 p.m.
St. Augustine Hunger Center
2486 W. 14th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
Hot meals daily and weekly groceries for families in need
Ann George Food Pantry
6369 Pearl Road (Rear)
Parma Heights, OH 44130
Hours vary by distribution day — call for details
(440) 842-6491
Bridge of Hope Community Center
3949 Lee Road
Cleveland, OH 44128
1st & 3rd Fridays, 5–8 p.m. | 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
West Park Church Food Pantry
3780 W. 140th Street
Cleveland, OH 44111
2nd Wednesday of each month, 4:30–6:00 p.m.
Cooley Avenue Church of God Outreach Center & Food Bank
12401 Cooley Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44111
3rd Saturday of each month, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
serves ZIP 44111
🔗 Search by ZIP for more pantries and mobile markets at greaterclevelandfoodbank.org
📞 Call 2-1-1 or Step Forward’s HEAP line at 216-480-4327
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💜 Take Action 💜
Call your representatives and demand
Congress restore SNAP funding.
Share verified info so families know where to get help.
Support local orgs fighting for food justice and economic equity.
Keep showing up — at the polls, in your community, and for your neighbors.
Restock a community fridge or host a meal share.
Ballot Initiatives
Understating Voter Apathy
Our findings revealed that voter apathy is not rooted in indifference, but in distrust and disillusionment. Many participants shared that they feel ignored by political leaders, that promises go unfulfilled, and that voting has not translated into meaningful change in their daily lives. Despite this, the majority still intend to vote, though often without confidence in the system.
Key themes included:
- Disillusionment with leadership: Many see politics as unresponsive to community needs.
- Disconnect between issues and voting: Voters want clear links between policies and their lived experiences, such as maternal health, economic justice, and safety.
- Desire for year-round engagement: Communities want consistent, relational organizing. Not just election-time outreach.
We conducted this study because traditional voter engagement strategies often fail to speak to the realities of Black communities. By using a Reproductive Justice framework, we connect civic participation to deeply personal issues like health, safety, and autonomy. Showing that voting is part of a larger strategy for building community power.
This work is important to us because voter apathy is often misunderstood. It is not that people don’t care, but that they demand accountability, transparency, and long-term investment. Addressing voter suppression and apathy requires moving beyond turnout and building sustainable pathways for trust, education, and shared power alongside the people who need it the most.
Common Voter Suppression Tactics
Voter Caging: The practice of sending mail to registered voters and challenging their eligibility to vote if the mail is returned as undeliverable.
Voter Purging: The practice of removing names from the voter rolls, or the list of registered voters.
Voter ID Laws: Strict identification requirements that can exclude people without driver’s licenses, passports, or costly documents. For example, Ohio House Bill 458 introduces stricter voting requirements, stating that in-person voters must present a valid government-issued photo ID to cast their ballots. Additionally, the bill limits absentee and early voting options by reducing the number of ballot drop boxes to just one per county and shortening the timelines for both requesting and returning mail-in ballots.
Polling Place Closures & Relocations: Shutting down or moving polling sites. Most often in Black and Brown neighborhoods. For example, the move of the county board of elections from East 30th and Euclid Ave to 1803 Superior Ave.