WILMINGTON, Ohio — Clinton County voters head to their precinct polling places on Tuesday, Nov. 3, after early in-person voting ended Sunday, closing out a month of early and absentee voting for the 2026 general election.
Early in-person voting in Ohio began Oct. 6 and its final session ran Sunday, Nov. 1, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s 2026 voting schedule. The Clinton County Board of Elections, at 111 S. Nelson Ave., Suite 4, in Wilmington, served as the county’s early voting site, and the board can be reached at 937-382-3537.
On Election Day, polls across Clinton County and Ohio are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., according to the Secretary of State. Voters who are in line by 7:30 p.m. can cast a ballot, and voters should confirm their precinct polling location before heading out, because polling places can change between elections. There is no early in-person voting on Monday, Nov. 2.
Absentee ballots carry a hard deadline this year. Non-military, non-overseas absentee ballots must be received by the board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to be counted, according to the Secretary of State. The Columbus Dispatch reported that Senate Bill 293, signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine in December 2025, eliminated the former post-election grace period for most absentee ballots, and that Secretary of State Frank LaRose warned on Oct. 27 that it might already be too late to mail a ballot and have it arrive by the deadline, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch. Voters still holding a completed absentee ballot can return it in person to the board of elections in Wilmington by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
On the ballot in Clinton County, voters decide Wilmington rezoning referendums and levy renewals, along with the statewide races and State Issue 3 that appear on ballots across Ohio. County and township offices, levies and local issues round out ballots that vary by precinct and community within the county.
Tuesday’s election closes a long voting season in the county: voter registration ended Oct. 5, absentee voting by mail and early in-person voting both began Oct. 6, and absentee ballot applications were due by 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 27, according to the Secretary of State’s schedule. Military and overseas voters’ ballots must be received by Nov. 7 to be counted, per the same schedule.
What happens next is Election Day itself. After the polls close at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Clinton County Board of Elections will begin reporting unofficial results, starting with the early and absentee ballots, which are the first votes counted on Election Night. Official results follow later in November after the county’s canvass.
Voters with questions about their polling place, ballot or registration can contact the Clinton County Board of Elections at 937-382-3537 or visit the board at 111 S. Nelson Ave., Suite 4, in Wilmington.
Photo: Christopher L. Riley, CC BY-SA