Election Day 2026: Polls are open in Ohio. Here’s what you need to know
If you haven’t hit the polls for early voting, you might have some questions. We are here to help with answers.
LATEST NEWS FROM SIGNAL STATEWIDE
Election 2026
Barack Obama, Ohio Democrats campaign against Trump, others in Cleveland rally
The Democratic ticket aggressively attacked the current president, a contrast to past midterms when they were leary of alienating Trump voters.
Court records detail Amy Acton’s estrangement from mother in Ramaswamy ad
1978 court records detail how Acton’s former stepfather evaded prosecution after he was charged with raping her. Her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, released an ad featuring the Democrat’s mother saying Acton is a liar. The ad did not explicitly reference the rape case but has sharply divided Republicans.
What’s at stake in Ohio’s secretary of state race in November
The two major candidates, Republican Robert Sprague and Democrat Allison Russo, offer dramatically different views on Ohio’s voter ID law, drop boxes, redistricting and election fraud concerns.
GOVERNMENT
Gas drillers ask Ohio to open public-owned Monroe Lake Wildlife Area for fracking
The request comes as the industry-receptive Oil and Gas Land Management Commission has opened 22,000 acres of state parks and wildlife reserves to oil and gas exploration since 2021. The next governor could shape future deals.
EDUCATION
Cleveland State becomes latest Ohio university to offer state residents free tuition
High school graduates whose families earn up to $125,000 annually – along with several other requirements – will be able to enroll for free.
HEALTH
Ohioans receive Obamacare ‘rebate’ checks from Trump
Nearly 1 million ACA enrollees are getting $500 checks weeks before the November election, including in Ohio and other U.S. Senate battlegrounds.
STATE SIGNALS NEWSLETTER
Republicans split on Vivek Ramaswamy’s Ohio ad featuring Amy Acton’s mother
Ohio politics news and insights from the State Signals newsletter. Plus, a GOP group promotes a socialist to Black voters to undercut Sherrod Brown.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Christian conservative podcaster detained by ICE at Columbus airport
A Department of Homeland Security official said Samuel Sey, 39, is set for removal from the country. He has publicly praised Trump’s mass deportation agenda as just and compatible with Christian beliefs.
NEWS FROM NOTUS
DOGE Cut Off Small Town America’s 250th Birthday Money
Ohio Humanities was planning history projects for the 250th when DOGE axed its funding last year. Then Trump redirected federal money for his own beautification projects.
Local Newsrooms
Signal Ohio is a nonprofit statewide network of local newsrooms.
Why Local News
Local news is in crisis. Across the country, including here in Ohio, the commercial news industry has been on the decline, leading to the loss of nearly three-quarters of journalism jobs since 2005, leading to less accountability, more polarization, and more government waste. With the volume of original reporting in Ohio communities reduced to a small fraction of what it once was, nonprofit news offers a path forward