Early Voter Turnout Surges in Florida and Ohio
Voters in Florida and Ohio are casting early ballots at high rates ahead of key gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races.
Early voting turnout is surging across several states ahead of the 2026 elections. In Ohio, over 60,000 people have already cast ballots in Franklin County, doubling the turnout from four years ago. Frank LaRose, the Ohio Secretary of State, noted that early and absentee voting may surpass previous records for a gubernatorial election. To ensure compliance with federal laws, the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division is deploying observers to polling sites in Franklin County and at least two other Ohio counties.
In Florida, Sumter County leads the state in early turnout at 32.7%, while Flagler County ranks sixth with a 31.0% turnout rate. In Flagler County, 31,185 of 100,550 eligible voters have participated, with Republicans leading turnout at 50.7% compared to 30.8% for Democrats. This activity significantly outpaces neighboring Volusia County, which ranks 19th statewide with 24.1% turnout.
Statewide data from On Point Politics indicates that early voting in Florida is 5.1% more Democratic than in 2024. Despite this shift, the outlet predicts a 72% probability that Republicans Byron Donalds and Ashley Moody will win the governor and U.S. Senate races, respectively.
