PORT CLINTON — Ottawa County voters turned out at 65.18% in the November 3, 2026 general election, casting 19,458 ballots out of 29,855 registered voters, according to the Ottawa County Board of Elections’ unofficial canvass summary, with all 36 precincts reporting.
In the governor’s race, Ottawa County backed Republicans Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert A. McColley with 10,052 votes (52.29%) over Democrats Amy Acton and David Pepper, who took 8,378 votes (43.59%), the board’s unofficial summary shows. Libertarians Don Kissick and James L. Mills received 773 votes (4.02%).
For U.S. Senator, the county favored Republican Jon Husted with 10,362 votes (53.85%) over Democrat Sherrod Brown’s 7,932 (41.22%), according to the board. In the 9th Congressional District, Republican Derek Merrin led Democrat Marcy Kaptur in the county, 10,555 votes (54.97%) to 8,599 (44.78%). Statewide Issue 3 passed heavily in Ottawa County, with yes votes at 13,826 (72.27%).
At the courthouse, Republican Donald A. Douglas won the commissioner race in the unofficial count with 11,228 votes (59.51%) over Democrat Susan Mulligan’s 7,639, and Republican Katherine Adams led the auditor’s race with 10,814 votes (57.81%), the board’s summary shows. The county’s own tax levy renewal (Issue 7) passed in the unofficial count with 11,096 votes for (58.59%).
In the county’s two state representative districts, the unofficial count favored Republicans in both: Edward L. Schimmel in the 44th District portion of the county and Caleb Stidham in the 89th District, according to the board’s summary. Ottawa County voters also backed the Genoa Area Local School District’s two renewal levies in the unofficial count, and the City of Port Clinton’s tax levy renewal passed with 62.46% support in the city, the board reported.
All of these figures remain unofficial. The Port Clinton News Herald reported that the Ottawa County Board of Elections was scheduled to meet November 13 to approve provisional ballots and to accept them for the official canvass on November 16 at 9 a.m. — the step that moves the county’s count from unofficial toward official.
What happens next: the board’s official canvass work begins Monday, November 16, and Ohio counties must certify their results ahead of the state’s November 24 certification deadline. NewsForce247 will update this county’s record when the official canvass is filed.
Photo: LeeG7144, CC BY-SA