Knox County voters are in the final days of early in-person voting for the Nov. 3 general election, with the Board of Elections in Mount Vernon open on extended hours through Sunday, Nov. 1, according to the Knox County Board of Elections.
Early voting takes place at the board office, 104 East Sugar Street in Mount Vernon, on the first floor, where any registered Knox County voter may cast a ballot at the Early Vote Center. The board lists hours of 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, the final day of early in-person voting.
The county got a strong start to the season. Knox County Board of Elections Director James Blazer said 384 voters cast ballots on Tuesday, Oct. 6, the first day of early voting, according to WQIO Radio’s reporting on the opening day.
On the ballot, Knox County voters will decide statewide races including governor, secretary of state, attorney general, auditor, treasurer and two Ohio Supreme Court seats, along with congressional and Statehouse races, statewide Issue 3, and local levies and issues shown on the board’s official sample ballots. Voters can preview their own ballot through the board’s website before they go.
Absentee voting by mail is now racing the new state deadline. Under Senate Bill 293, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in December 2025, most absentee ballots must be received by the board by the close of polls on Election Day to be counted, with no post-election grace period except for military and overseas voters, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The Dispatch reported that Secretary of State Frank LaRose said on Oct. 27 that it might already be too late to mail a ballot and have it arrive in time, and listed 104 East Sugar St. in Mount Vernon as Knox County’s drop-off location.
Voters who still hold an absentee ballot can hand-deliver it to the board office by 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Absentee ballots are not accepted at polling places on Election Day.
What happens next is Election Day itself: polls across Knox County will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and voters who have not voted early will cast ballots at their assigned polling locations, which the board lists on its website.
Photo: Mark Spearman, CC BY