As early voting continues in the August 8th special election over Issue One, the Ohio Secretary of State says there's been a "significant increase" in early voting participation over the 2022 primary election.

As of August 3rd, more than half a million Ohio residents had already voted on Issue One, a surprising turnout for a special election on an off year.

Of the 578,490 votes cast so far, 390,331 have been cast in-person by early voters, 152,977 ballots mailed in, 26,185 left in ballot drop boxes, and 9,997 hand-delivered to county boards of elections.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who recently went on a statewide tour in support of Issue One, has repetitively stressed the integrity and security of Ohio's early voting systems. 

Ohio voters enjoy some of the most generous early voting laws in the nation. Ohio is one of just 18 states to allow early voting on Saturdays, and one of just six states with early voting on Sundays. The state's nearly 200 hours of early voting windows is also 21% longer than the national average.

Election day is near, but there are still opportunities left to vote early. Boards of Elections are open Friday until 7:30 pm, Saturday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. After that, any remaining residents wanting to vote on Issue One will have to do so on election day.