Franklin County voters can cast an early in-person ballot from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday this week at the Franklin County Board of Elections, 1700 Morse Road in Columbus, as early voting for the November 3 general election moves through its third week.
The Morse Road office is the county’s only early voting site. The board began mailing absentee ballots on October 6 to voters with valid applications on file, starting with 68,515 ballots, Director Antone White said when early voting opened. Voters can check their registration, view a sample ballot, find their Election Day polling place and track an absentee ballot at vote.franklincountyohio.gov.
This week’s 8-to-5 schedule runs Monday, October 19 through Friday, October 23. The first Saturday of early voting follows on October 24, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., before hours expand sharply in the final week.
From Monday, October 26, early voting runs 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., stretches to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27, and continues 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. October 28 through 30. The final weekend offers Saturday, October 31 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, November 1 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the last day of early voting.
Tuesday, October 27 at 8:30 p.m. is also the deadline for the board to receive an absentee ballot application. Under current Ohio law, a voted absentee ballot must be received by the board no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, to count, so officials urge mail voters to return ballots early rather than mailing them at the last minute.
Completed absentee ballots can also be returned in person to the Morse Road office, including through the secure 24-hour drop box outside the building. Voters who choose Election Day instead will vote at their assigned polling place on Tuesday, November 3, when polls across Ohio are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
White’s advice to residents as the election approaches has been simple: make a plan. Deciding now whether to vote early on Morse Road, return a ballot by mail or drop box, or vote on Election Day helps voters avoid the longest lines of the final week.
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