19,000 Central Ohio Ballots Still Unreturned

More than 19,000 mail-in ballots requested in central Ohio have not yet been returned to county election boards. These outstanding votes must reach officials by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. In-person voting concluded on Sunday, leaving a short window for voters to submit their mailed ballots.

The seven central Ohio counties reported nearly 300,000 early in-person and mail-in ballots cast in total. Franklin County, the state's largest, accounts for the majority of the unreturned mail-in ballots, with more than 12,000 still pending. Voters can deliver these ballots directly to county boards of election, though mailing them may not allow enough time for processing.

A law enacted in November 2025 by the Republican-led Ohio General Assembly now requires physical delivery of ballots by Election Day. Under previous rules, ballots were counted if postmarked by Election Day, even if they arrived later. This change removes the grace period for late-arriving mail.

Franklin County saw substantial early participation, with over 90,000 residents voting in person during the final week. Additionally, more than 70,000 people in the county requested mail-in ballots. These figures surpass 2022 levels, when approximately 48,000 voted early in person and just over 100,000 requested and returned mail-in ballots.

Election officials have noted consistent lines in Franklin County during the final days of early voting. The current deadline creates a specific logistical hurdle for the 19,000 pending mail-in votes across the region. Voters must ensure their ballots arrive before polls close to have their votes included in the final tally.