What the early voting numbers in Ohio tell us

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Democratic strongholds in Ohio are surpassing previous early voting records, but counties that voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020 are ahead in returned ballots.

Two weeks of early rejection, about two weeks until election day.

“I came out early to make sure I got in and to make sure I voted,” Akron voter Lynda Smith said.

Smith is one of the tens of thousands of early voters in Summit County. Approximately 850,000 Ohioans voted across the state.

I looked into where these voters are coming from.

Data analysis

This data was calculated using statewide and county data through online systems or requests from local officials. When I refer to early voting, unless otherwise noted, this includes both early in-person voting and absentee voting. For reasons of clarity, the numbers have been rounded. I then look at how each district voted in 2020.

I found that the most populous counties, typically Democratic strongholds, had the most voters per county.

On the morning of the 15th day leading up to the election, Oct. 21, Franklin County saw its highest voter turnout ever with about 77,000 ballots cast. In 2020, they voted for President Joe Biden 65%-33% over Trump.

Next is Cuyahoga with 72,000. In the deepest part of the state, they voted for Biden 66.5%-32%.

Then Hamilton with 62,000. They voted 57-41% for Biden.

Peak follows with 32,000. They voted 54-44% for Biden

And fifth is Montgomery with 29,000. They voted 50-48% for Biden.

Lucas placed 10th with 22,000. They voted 58-41% for Biden.

Each of these districts played a big role in the 2023 election for social reasons – helping to protect access to abortion, legalize recreational marijuana and protect the right to vote.

Election experts say Democrats are typically the ones who vote early. But Republican politicians are trying to change that.

“You can absolutely trust this process,” said Bernie Moreno, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. “Look, Republicans are going to make a big impact on early voting.”

RELATED: Ohio Republicans promote early mail-in voting after opposing it

And it could work. I calculated the number of early votes from the counties Trump won in 2020, which was 81 out of 88 counties. It amounts to about 550,000, which is about 65% of the early votes.

That doesn’t mean everyone who votes in those counties is voting for Trump — it could be the Democrats who live there who vote early. But the ruby ​​red counties like Putnam and Mercer are popping up.

The districts Trump won ranged from Republican strongholds to more middle-of-the-road districts.

Warren County ties Montgomery with 29,000 voters. They voted for Trump 65-34%.

Lorain is next with 27,000. They voted for Trump 50-48%.

Butler follows with 26,000. They voted for Trump 65-34%.

Stark also has 26,000. They voted for Trump 58-40%.

And Delaware with 20,000. They voted for Trump 52-45%.

Lorain, Stark and Delaware are Pivot Countiesthose who either voted for Obama and then Trump, or voted for causes opposed by the Ohio Republican Party, such as abortion access and recreational marijuana.

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The pivots continue – Medina and Lake are next at 19,000 each. Medina voted for Trump 61-38% and Lake voted 56-42%.

However, many blue counties are seeing an increase in early voting this year. Mike West of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections said in-person voting has already broken records.

“I think we will have almost twice as many early voters in this election as we did in the last ‘normal’ presidential election,” West said.

Due to the pandemic, it’s difficult to compare early voting data to 2020 – so I’m comparing it to 2016.

Two weeks before the 2016 election, there were about 7,000 in-person early votes in Cuyahoga County. And now there are around 54,000. Summit County says they are seeing the same trend.

On a daily basis, Franklin, Cuyahoga and Hamilton all have more voters than at the same time in 2016.

Democrats shouldn’t get too excited. West said they may be ahead in the early voting numbers, but that doesn’t mean there will be a huge increase in overall turnout.

“It seems like it’s the same people who go to the polls every four years,” he said. “We just cut the methods a little differently.”

What should I know about voting?

There is still plenty of time for early voting. Before you go to vote, be sure to check out my huge voting guide.

RELATED: OHIO VOTER GUIDE 2024: Everything you need to know

It contains everything you need to know about November 5th, absentee voting, candidates and voting questions.

Hours of early voting

21st-25th Oct.: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m
Oct. 26: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m
Oct. 27: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m
Oct. 28: 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m
Oct. 29: 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m
Oct. 30 – Nov. 1: 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m
November 2nd: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m
November 3rd: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m

Postal voting

You must request your mail-in ballot by October 29th at 8:30 p.m. Once you receive your actual ballot, it must be postmarked by November 4th and received by the BOE by November 9th.

Where can you vote?

If you vote early, you MUST vote at your county board of elections.

Click here to find your polling place for November 5th.

Voter identification

If you vote in person, you must bring a photo ID. Accepted forms include a valid Ohio driver’s license, US passport or military ID. You are no longer allowed to use bank statements or utility bills.

RELATED: What you need to get to the polls in Ohio

Other acceptable Forms of identification include an Ohio State ID card, a temporary ID card issued by the Ohio BMV, a U.S. passport card, an Ohio National Guard ID card, and a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card.

Other unacceptable Forms of identification include a driver’s license or photo ID issued by a state other than Ohio; a social security card, birth certificate, insurance card, government check, paycheck, or other government document; or a confirmation notice from the district election authority.

The ID cards must have an unexpired expiration date, a photo of the voter, and the voter’s name, which must substantially match the voter’s name as it appears on the voter list or poll book.

If you do not have one of the approved forms of identification, you can cast a provisional vote. To have your vote counted, you must return to the BOE within four days of the election and provide photo ID.

Hotline for non-partisan voters

If you have questions or concerns about voting, a non-partisan hotline has been established.

Call or text 1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) speak with a trained election protection volunteer in English.

The hotline is also available in different languages

Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)

Asian languages: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)

Arabic: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)

Follow WEWS Statehouse reporter Morgan Trau continues Twitter And Facebook.