More than 2 million Ohioans have requested absentee ballots

COLUMBUS (WCMH) -- The state of Ohio has received more than 2 million absentee ballot requests, far surpassing both of the last two general elections.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Tuesday that the state has received 2,000,489 ballot requests. The state has just over 6 million registered voters.

For the 2016 election, the state received 957,260 requests, while in 2012, the state received 933,395 requests for the same time period -- five weeks from election day.

Over the last week, 216,485 new requests were received by the state.

Among this year's requests are 24,222 from military and overseas voters whose ballots started being sent two weeks ago.

All other absentee ballots for the state will be sent starting Oct. 6, LaRose said in a press release.

In addition to absentee ballots, voters can choose to vote in person. Early voting in the state starts Oct. 6, and polling places will be open Nov. 3. Anyone who has requested an absentee ballot may vote early. However, anyone choosing to vote on election day and who has requested an absentee ballot must vote with a provisional ballot base solely on the fact they requested the absentee ballot.

”We are making it easier than ever for registered Ohio voters to make their voice heard,” LaRose said in the press release. “Every voter choosing to cast their ballot from the comfort of their own home makes for an even smoother voting experience for those choosing to vote in-person on election day. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

The deadline to register to vote is this coming Monday, Oct. 5.

Absentee ballot requests must be received at the county board of elections by Oct. 31. Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 2 or returned to the county ballot drop box by 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3.

For more information on voting in Ohio, visit the secretary of state's website. To check your voter registration status, click here.