Fewer Ohioans cast ballots in last week's midterms than in 2018, results from the secretary of state show.

Why it matters: The data points to a lack of voter enthusiasm, particularly in Democratic areas, which might have impacted the results of the high-profile U.S. Senate race won by Republican J.D. Vance.

By the numbers: Statewide turnout declined from 55.7% in 2018 to a still-unofficial total of 51.1% this year.

• The 2022 percentage will increase slightly as additional mail-in and provisional votes are counted, with official certification happening later this month.

Of note: A greater number of Ohioans cast early ballots this year, particularly in person at county Board of Elections offices.

Zoom in: Franklin County turnout was down considerably this year, from 55.7% in 2018 to 47.2% in 2022.

• Even when more ballots are counted, the official total is unlikely to hit 50%.

The big picture: Similar drop-offs were recorded in other metros like Cuyahoga, Hamilton and Lucas counties.

• Ryan earned considerably fewer votes in those four blue counties than Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown received in 2018.

Meanwhile, Gov. Mike DeWine's 2.5 million votes (and counting) are the most ever received in an Ohio gubernatorial election.

• Turnout went up in several deeply red counties such as Pickaway County, just south of Columbus, which voted for Vance by a 71-29 margin.

Between the lines: More than half of likely Republican voters identified inflation as their top issue headed into Election Day, per a Baldwin Wallace University poll from late October.

• Democrats were more split on their top issue: Abortion led with 31% of voters.
• The initial surge of women registering to vote after Roe v. Wade's reversal made little impact on Ohio's elections results.

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We're back with another installment of Best Day Ever, our feature highlighting how local movers and shakers spend their time in Central Ohio.

What's happening: Stephanie Cedeño is director of civic engagement for Besa, a Columbus nonprofit connecting people to community service.

Cedeño's local favorites:

💃 Music to start your day: I wake up to the lively beats of salsa and reggaeton; Bad Bunny and J Balvin are on constant rotation.

• I grew up waking up to the sounds of salsa filling my house and it's a great way to get the body and mind moving. It's hard to have a bad day when you start it dancing!

🍳 Breakfast: Tasi Cafe in the Short North. It's tucked away in a quiet corner and everything on their menu is prepared daily from scratch. I always order the black bean cakes topped with poached eggs, jalapeno butter, a side of fresh French bread, coffee and mimosas.

• If you sit outside, you may catch a peek of the nearby Mona Lisa mural.

☕ Morning activity: I would walk to Broad Street Food Pantry and volunteer. Service work makes my spirit feel full, and the pantry was one of the first places I started volunteering through Besa in 2014. On Thursdays, we pack and distribute meals to the seniors living in Poindexter Village, and it's fun to spend time with them.

🥗 Lunch: I'm obsessed with Freedom a la Cart Cafe. Their Life Salad literally gives me life. The roasted rosemary pecans and herb-mustard vinaigrette are what really set it apart.

• In addition to everything on their menu being delicious and the cafe being super adorable, each purchase provides workforce training and wraparound services for local survivors of sex trafficking.

The rest of Stephanie Cedeño's Best Day Ever

🗳️ Activists plan to pursue a ballot initiative protecting statewide abortion rights after Republicans' sweep of Ohio Supreme Court races last week. (Ohio Capital Journal)

A Hilliard man is among six crew members who died yesterday after two airplanes collided in a Texas air show. (WCMH-TV)

🏈 Ohio State's Kamryn Babb, a fifth-year wide receiver, scored his first career touchdown Saturday in an emotional season debut after overcoming four ACL injuries and other setbacks. (WBNS-TV)

🏒 In another blow for the last-place Blue Jackets, defenseman Zach Werenski is likely out for the season with a shoulder injury. (AP)

⚖️ It's unclear if newly proposed gun control legislation can move forward in Columbus, as city attorneys and Attorney General Dave Yost continue to argue in court over whether the state can restrict such measures. (Columbus Dispatch)

👋 Tyler here. There's a funny scene in Family Guy where Brian Griffin, suddenly the father of a teenager, scolds another character: "Until you have a child, you do not understand."

The big picture: Young reporters are taught a classic aphorism: Afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.

• We have to put ourselves in others' shoes to effectively report on how the news affects a diverse range of lived experiences.

Yes, but: We're also taught strict rules about objectivity and neutrality.

• Another reporting maxim: There's no cheering in the press box.

Reality check: Impartiality can sometimes breed indifference.

• So while I want to think I was an empathetic reporter well before my first kid was born seven weeks ago, already caring about issues like public safety and school quality, I can no longer harbor the same feeling of principled detachment as I once did.

The bottom line: Readers are still front-of-mind as I return from parental leave ready to approach stories about our rapidly changing city.

• Still, I hope my newer, wider perspective can make me a better journalist and newsletter writer.
• I, like Calvin, am still growing.