Early voting in Ohio could top turnout record

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) – Election Day is eight days away and the early voting period ends in just six days in Ohio. According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, more than 1.6 million people have cast a ballot already, either in person or via mail-in ballot.

Franklin County has seen over 157,000 ballots cast so far, with around 74,000 of those being in-person early voting at the Franklin County Board of Elections headquarters. A spokesperson for the Board of Elections said that puts the county on pace to surpass the record number of in-person early votes from 2020, which was around 117,000.

An estimated 4,000 people voted in-person early on Sunday afternoon. The line was around the building off Morse Road, but voters said the line moved quickly. A volunteer estimated the longest wait time was around an hour and a half. Many people voting early had different reasons for wanting to vote early.

“I came out to vote early because of my work schedule, and I wanted to make sure I got in for what could be a historic vote,” voter Sonja Hunter said.

“You never really know what’s going to happen on Election Day. Whether it’s going to be a family emergency car wreck, you get sick, and plus, it allows people that don’t get that day off to, actually have time to vote if you’re not in the line,” Eowyn Livengood said.

“The weather is beautiful to be outside and just wanted to make sure that I do it on time in case I get hit by a COTA bus, I want to be in on time,” Mary Mutegi said with a laugh.

The early voters NBC4 spoke to had a plethora of different reasons for getting out to vote and had different issues they found important when considering who to vote for.

“Economy and economy is number one on my list and also the fairness of all people,” Hunter said. “I’m also very concerned about, mainly the economy is number one on my list, honestly.”

“Honestly, immigration policy is pretty big, and also abortion rights,” Livengood said. “I know we voted for it once in Ohio, but seems like we got to vote for it again,” added Eowyn Livengood.

“Wanting the best for our country and for our government because it is in need of repair. And, you know, I just want to ensure that the so the, the correct people are in position of making that change and just supporting the longevity of our country and our government. That’s very important because I don’t think people realize how once those things are gone, you know, it’s I don’t find it being beneficial to our women in our country or just to our community as a whole,” explained first time voter Jeremiah Neal.

Neal came to the Franklin County Board of Elections with his parents to cast his very first vote in a presidential election.

He added, “I feel like wholeheartedly, especially as a young person, I really take to heart, like the testimonies of females and just their, their support from our government and, you know, our, our leaders.”

Still many others brought young ones along with them to the polls. Imani Akita is just 14, but wanted to see what it was like to go to the polls.

“Right now, I just get to see how it works so that when that time comes, I’ll be able to do it,” she said.

Lots of parents brought their kids to show them the importance of making their voice hear through their vote. The 18-24 age group is consistently the lowest turnout in every election, and so far in Ohio, that trend is continuing, according to secretary of state data.

“I think, being youth, it’s good to have our voices heard because these are issues that affect us currently and if we can have a say on what happens in the future, it’d be good,” Akita said.

Early voting ends Nov. 3. The remaining hours for early voting in Ohio are:

• Oct. 28: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Oct. 29: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Oct. 30 – Nov. 1: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Nov. 2: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Nov. 3: 1 to 5 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.