Election Day tips for Ohio voters
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
At long last, the big day is finally here.
Why it matters: Central Ohioans are voting today for president, U.S. senator and state Supreme Court justices, along with a constitutional amendment known as Issue 1 that would change our redistricting process.
- The ballot also features many county races and local levies, most notably a COTA sales tax increase for LinkUs transit projects.
Pro tip: Check our voter guide for a smart, fast recap of all the issues.
What else to know today:
🗳 Polls are open across Ohio from 6:30am-7:30pm. Find your voting place.
📸 Valid photo ID is required to vote.
🚌 If you need a ride, COTA trips are free. Lyft and Uber are offering 50%-off promotions.
- Bonus: You can also snag free Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Ikea yogurt if you vote.
📬❌ It's too late to mail your ballot, but you can still drop off completed absentee ballots to your county board of elections office by 7:30pm.
🔎 Follow our live results tracker for all of Ohio's critical races.
What to expect tonight: Usually, Ohio is an efficient state when it comes to reporting results.
- Early votes are counted right after polls close, so a large batch should be reported shortly after 7:30pm.
- Votes cast today will trickle in after that as precincts return ballots to their county elections offices to be counted.
How it works: Axios relies on the Associated Press to make official calls for key items like Issue 1 and the high-profile U.S. Senate race between Sherrod Brown and Bernie Moreno.
- Polls show a razor-thin Senate race that could be too close to call, though we'll likely have unofficial results tonight for local ballot items.
The big picture: The presidential race may take more time.
- We'll probably know whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump won Ohio by tonight, but an overall winner could take longer because of how other states count ballots.