Ohio Records Highest Early Voter Turnout in Midterm History
Ohio residents set a record with over 1.6 million early ballots cast ahead of Tuesday's gubernatorial and Senate elections.
More than 1.6 million residents of Ohio cast ballots during the early voting period that concluded Sunday, November 1, 2026. This turnout surpasses the total early vote count from the 2022 midterm elections, with approximately 989,000 people voting in person and 606,000 voting by mail. High participation was particularly noted in Franklin, Hamilton, and Montgomery counties.
On Tuesday, voters will decide more than 500 positions. Key contests include the gubernatorial race between Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, as well as a U.S. Senate race between Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican incumbent Jon Husted. Former President Barack Obama recently held a campaign rally in Cleveland to support the Democratic ticket.
Early data from the Secretary of State's office indicates that Democrats are outperforming Republicans in early returns. However, Republican strategists argue these figures are an unreliable predictor of the final outcome, citing party registration patterns based on primary participation.
