State

Ohio Secretary of State releases important reminders prior to Election Day

By Staff Report
A sliver of hair sticks out from a voting booth as a voter casts their ballot at Van Horn High School during Election Day on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Independence.
With May 5 one week away, Ohio Secretary of State urges voters to return absentee ballots promptly, use early in-person voting, or vote on Election Day. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com

With just one week remaining until Election Day, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is reminding voters that it is not too late to make their voices heard by voting.

Early voting is already underway across the state, and thousands of Ohioans have taken advantage of the opportunity to vote ahead of Election Day. As of Monday, 155,873 absentee ballots have been requested, and 88,324 have been cast. Additionally, 118,765 Ohioans have taken advantage of Ohio’s convenient early in-person voting.

“Ohioans still have time to make their voices heard in another important election,” said LaRose. “If you’ve requested an absentee ballot, don’t wait — return it as soon as possible to ensure it’s counted. Whether you choose to vote early, absentee, or on Election Day, the most important thing is that you participate and make your voice heard.”

Key Election Reminders:

  • Election Day is May 5th, and polls will be open from 6:30AM – 7:30PM.
  • Absentee ballots must be received by your county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Voters have the option to hand-deliver their absentee ballot to their local Board of Elections.
  • Voters looking to take advantage of early in-person or absentee voting can visit VoteOhio.gov for hours, locations and deadlines.
  • The Absentee and Early Voting Data Dashboard will be updated daily, giving Ohioans unprecedented transparency and allowing them to better analyze early voting trends and statistics. Learn more about this tool and about our election transparency initiative at OhioSoS.gov/Data.