Scioto County voters can cast an early in-person ballot this week at the Scioto County Board of Elections, 602 7th St., Room 105, in Portsmouth, as voting continues ahead of the Nov. 3, 2026 general election.
The board’s published early voting schedule lists hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Oct. 23, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. The board office’s regular hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the board can be reached at 740-353-4178 or [email protected].
Hours expand in the final week before Election Day. Early voting runs 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 through Friday, Oct. 30, followed by 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31 and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, according to the board’s schedule and the Ohio Secretary of State’s statewide voting schedule. There is no early in-person voting on Monday, Nov. 2.
Absentee ballot applications must be received by the board of elections by 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 27, under the Secretary of State’s schedule. Absentee ballots must be received by the board by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to be counted, the board notes.
On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, polls in Scioto County and across Ohio are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters who requested a mail ballot and still have it should follow the board’s guidance on returning it or voting in person, and a voter who has already returned a ballot should not cast a second one.
The board has also been handling ballot business this fall in public meetings. Its site noted a special meeting on Oct. 5 to adopt a plan of action to replace deceased candidate Pete Abele on the November general ballot, and the board’s regular monthly meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m. at the Portsmouth office.
For Portsmouth and Scioto County residents who want to avoid Election Day lines, this week’s 8-to-5 window and Saturday’s hours are the simplest options left before the final-week schedule begins. Voters can confirm their registration, polling place and sample ballot through the Ohio Secretary of State or by contacting the Scioto County board directly.
Photo: Christopher L. Riley, CC BY-SA 4.0