Early voting tops 170,000 ballots as Ohio's top races stay close

More than 170,000 Ohioans had already cast ballots by Friday, Oct. 9, according to Secretary of State data cited by the Statehouse News Bureau. In-person early voting for the Nov. 3 general election opened Oct. 6. ^[1]

Each county board of elections is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays through Oct. 23. Hours stretch to 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. from Oct. 26 through Oct. 30, with a later 8:30 p.m. close on Oct. 27. Boards are also open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Oct. 24 and Oct. 31, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1. ^[2]

Applications to vote by mail must reach the county board by 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 27. Completed absentee ballots have to arrive by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, when polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters can track their ballots at VoteOhio.gov/Track. ^[2][3]

Early and mail voting is a large share of Ohio's electorate. About 2.6 million people, roughly 45% of all voters, cast ballots that way in 2024, Spectrum News reported, citing the Ohio Legislative Service Commission. ^[4]

Both statewide headliners look tight. Polling cited by WOIO in early October showed Democrat Sherrod Brown about 3 points ahead of Republican Sen. Jon Husted in the U.S. Senate race, and Democrat Amy Acton about 3 points ahead of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the race for governor. The station did not name the pollsters. ^[5]