With the added emphasis on early and absentee voting across the country this election cycle, many states are reporting record turnout, with some having reached nearly the same number of ballots cast in the time leading up the Election Day as were cast four years ago in total.
With 80 of Ohio’s 88 counties reporting on early ballots that were cast, early voting had seen 46.3% as many ballots cast by Oct. 30 as were cast during the entire 2016 election, according to the U.S. Elections Project. Though that still has Ohio ahead of states such as Pennsylvania (34.3%) and New York (31.9%), it leaves the state lagging behind the national average of 62.5%.
In total, approximately 2.6 million early ballots had been cast as of Oct. 30 between early in-person voting and mail-in ballots in Ohio, according to the U.S. Elections Project. Nearly 3 million absentee ballots have been requested this election cycle.
Ohio was behind many other states in setting new records for early mail-in ballots during the 2020 President Election
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Seth Wagenman, of Beaver Creek, told the Greene County Times that he plans to vote in every contested race during the election.
“It’s kind of pointless. Maybe they can vote for themselves,” said Wagenman of the uncontested races.
Wagenman told the Greene County Times that he does find the presidential race important, but that he is also keeping an eye on the outcome of state races, with seats up for grabs in both houses of the Ohio General Assembly.
Wagenman sid he is rather selective in who he supports for office.This is an important election, but voting is always significant, he explained.
“If you don’t vote and then your country gets overtaken by tyrants, you have no basis for complaint about it,” said Wagenman.
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