Ohio polls open on Election Day, with governor's race and a toss-up Senate seat on the ballot
Editorial illustration — Press Pass USAOhio polls opened at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 3, for a midterm election headlined by two nationally watched races — Democrat Amy Acton against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy for governor, and Republican Sen. Jon Husted against former Sen. Sherrod Brown for the U.S. Senate — after a record number of Ohioans voted early.
Polls close at 7:30 p.m., and anyone in line by then can still vote, election officials say. Voters must cast their ballot at their assigned polling place on Election Day, and absentee ballots must be received by their county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. to be counted. Polling locations and ballot information are available at VoteOhio.gov.
More than 1.7 million Ohioans had already voted before Election Day, a midterm early-voting record for the state, according to Ohio Secretary of State data. Nearly 1.1 million people voted in person through November 1, the final day of early voting, and roughly 632,000 mail-in ballots had been returned — blowing past the previous midterm record of 1.5 million set in 2022. More than 104,000 absentee ballots were still outstanding and must be returned by the close of polls to count.
The governor's race will replace term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. Ramaswamy, a biotech billionaire backed by President Donald Trump, is best known for his 2024 Republican presidential bid and a short stint setting up the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency. Acton served as the state health director during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a role that earned her both praise and criticism. Neither candidate has won a political race before, and whoever wins will make history as either the first woman or the first person of color elected governor of Ohio. Ramaswamy is running with Ohio Senate President Rob McColley; Acton is running with former Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Pepper. Libertarian Don Kissick is also on the ballot.
The Senate race could help decide control of the chamber. Husted, who previously served as lieutenant governor, was appointed to the seat by DeWine after Vice President JD Vance resigned it, and the winner will serve the remaining two years of the term. Brown is attempting a political comeback after losing reelection to Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno in 2024. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up, and spending by the campaigns and outside groups has exceeded $500 million, according to AdImpact figures. Libertarian William Redpath and independent Greg Levy are also on the ballot.
Ohio voters are also deciding several closely watched U.S. House races, including the 9th District rematch between Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, first elected in 1982, and former Republican state Rep. Derek Merrin — a race decided by less than a percentage point in 2024 — and the 7th District, where domestic violence allegations against Republican Rep. Max Miller, which he denies and which are under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, have turned a once-safe seat into a toss-up. In the Cincinnati-area 1st District, Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman faces Republican Eric Conroy in a redrawn district, and in the Akron-area 13th, Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes faces Republican Carey Coleman.
On the statewide ballot, voters will choose a new slate of executive officials, including attorney general, secretary of state, auditor and treasurer, plus two seats on the Ohio Supreme Court. They will also decide Issue 3, a constitutional amendment that would place the state's existing photo voter ID rules in the Ohio Constitution. Supporters say it would prevent future lawmakers from weakening the law; critics say it is unnecessary because Ohio already has a photo ID law and there is little evidence of widespread voter fraud.
No results will be known until after polls close at 7:30 p.m. Press Pass USA will not declare any winner without an Associated Press call.
Sources: The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY Ohio Bureau, "Ohio election 2026 guide to the biggest races and key issues" (Nov. 3, 2026); The Cincinnati Enquirer / The Columbus Dispatch, "Ohio sets new early voting record for midterms. What does it mean?" (Nov. 2, 2026).
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