Ohio Early Vote Total Shatters 2022 Midterm Record

Ohio has surpassed its previous midterm election turnout record, with more than 1.7 million residents casting ballots before Election Day. Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced the milestone in a Monday news release, stating that the state has set a new benchmark for early voting in a gubernatorial cycle.

LaRose described the results as a validation of the state's election infrastructure. "Ohioans crushed the 2022 early voting record for a gubernatorial election," he said. "Ohio is the Gold Standard, and I'm proud that we are seeing yet another record-breaking year."

County boards of elections processed nearly 1.1 million in-person votes during the early voting period, which opened in October and closed on the Sunday before the election. Mail-in voting contributed the remainder of the early total, with more than 630,000 ballots returned as of November 1. This figure represents approximately 86% of all requested mail-in ballots.

The statewide demand for mail-in ballots has declined compared to the last midterm cycle. Requests dropped from 1 million in 2022 to 730,000 in 2026, a decrease of more than 26%. Despite this lower volume, Cuyahoga County recorded the highest number of early voters due to its large mail-in ballot base.

Franklin County handled the largest volume of voters at its physical early voting center. Board of Elections Director Antone White stated in October that the facility could process up to 800 voters per hour. On Sunday afternoon, voters reported multi-hour waits as lines extended into the parking lot.

Voters who requested a mail-in ballot but have not yet returned it must deliver it to their local board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.