CLEVELAND — Election Day 2022 is underway. But already, Ohio is setting records.
According to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, more than 1.5 million Ohioans have already cast their ballots through early and mail-in voting -- a record for early voting in the state for a gubernatorial election year. LaRose -- a Republican incumbent who is facing Democratic candidate Chelsea Clark on this year's ballot -- isn't surprised by the turnout, based on both the trends and policies Ohio has in place.
"We know why: it's because Ohioans know that they can trust their elections. That they really are impactful and honest elections," LaRose told 3News' Dave Chudowsky on Tuesday morning, just hours after polls opened in the state. "But also because we make it convenient. We're hearing that trend continuing today. In fact, we're hearing reports around the state of steady turnout at close to 3,500 polling locations."
As for the trends, LaRose noted Ohio's impressive voting turnout that dates back to the 2016 general election.
"Ohio has been on a long trajectory of record-breaking turnouts," LaRose said. "We had record-breaking years in '16 and '18. In 2020, we shattered the all-time record with nearly six million people casting a ballot. And again, Ohioans like to make sure that their voices are heard in this important civic process."
LaRose also discussed Ohio's election security, how the state's process compares to other states and even the newly designed "Ohio Voted" stickers that voters will receive this year. You can watch the entire interview in the video player above or YouTube player below.