Defiance County voters backed Republican candidates across the top of the ballot in the Nov. 3 general election, according to the Defiance County Board of Elections’ unofficial canvass summary, while rejecting a library levy and approving a city charter amendment that prohibits a data center in Defiance. The board reported 14,795 ballots cast out of 25,923 registered voters, a turnout of 57.07 percent, with all 33 precincts reporting.
In the governor’s race in Defiance County, Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert A. McColley received 8,501 votes, or 58.28 percent, to 5,341 votes, or 36.61 percent, for Amy Acton and David Pepper, the board’s summary shows. Libertarians Don Kissick and James L. Mills received 714 votes. In the race for the unexpired U.S. Senate term, Jon Husted received 8,592 votes in the county, or 59.10 percent, to 4,974 votes, or 34.21 percent, for Sherrod Brown.
State Issue 3, the proposed constitutional amendment requiring voters to present government-issued photo identification, passed overwhelmingly in Defiance County, with 11,141 votes in favor, or 76.73 percent, and 3,379 against, the board reported. In the in-county portion of the 9th Congressional District race, Derek Merrin received 8,926 votes, or 61.81 percent, to 5,464 votes, or 37.84 percent, for Marcy Kaptur.
Both county commissioner races went to Republicans, according to the unofficial summary. Dana Phipps received 9,512 votes, or 65.64 percent, to 4,979 for Joe L. Eureste for the term beginning Jan. 1, 2027, and Matthew J. Koester received 9,104 votes, or 63.19 percent, to 5,304 for Mike Armstrong for the term beginning Jan. 2, 2029. Vickie S. Myers was elected county auditor with 9,588 votes, or 66.32 percent, to 4,869 for John Hancock.
The Defiance Public Library System’s property tax renewal and increase — 1.65 mills for 35 years — failed, with 8,011 votes, or 55.54 percent, against the levy and 6,412 in favor, the board’s summary shows. In the city of Defiance, voters approved a proposed charter amendment prohibiting a data center, with 3,823 votes in favor, or 64.73 percent, and 2,083 against. School and service levies elsewhere in the county fared better: voters renewed a fixed-sum levy for Central Local Schools, a 9.9-mill levy for Northeastern Local Schools, a 1.3-mill levy for Ayersville Local Schools and the Four County Board of ADAMhs 0.7-mill renewal, according to the board.
What we know — and what we’re still waiting on: Every figure in this story comes from the Defiance County Board of Elections’ unofficial summary, generated on election night, Nov. 3. The results are not final. Under Ohio Secretary of State Directive 2026-48, voters had through Saturday, Nov. 7, to cure absentee or provisional ballot deficiencies, and provisional and other outstanding ballots are resolved during the official canvass.
The board must begin its official canvass no earlier than Sunday, Nov. 8, and no later than Wednesday, Nov. 18, and must complete the canvass and certify the results no later than Tuesday, Nov. 24, under Directive 2026-48. Certification is the next concrete step, and any close race — none of the countywide margins in the unofficial summary was narrow — becomes final only then.