Tue Nov 05 10:30:00 UTC 2024: ## Long Lines Mark End of Early Voting in Franklin County
**COLUMBUS, OHIO** – The final day of early voting in Franklin County saw long lines and wait times of up to three hours at the Franklin County Board of Elections. Despite the wait, voters expressed their dedication to casting their ballots.
“Traffic coming here was even worse,” said Katie Kapala, of Galloway. “But it is worth voting.”
Shawnta Stafford, of Gahanna, echoed this sentiment: “My ancestors fought hard for this, but to not vote is like they died in vain.”
Some voters questioned the single early voting location for a county with over 900,000 registered voters. “Final time was two hours 20 minutes here,” said John Archer of Worthington. “It is kind of interesting every county gets one election place for early voting regardless of the size of the county.”
Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who attended a campaign event Sunday evening, acknowledged the long lines and expressed support for additional early voting locations in the county. “Ten years ago when I was a state senator I proposed that, but it is up to the state legislature,” LaRose said. “The idea of having more than one early voting site per county is something I have supported for a long time but again that would require a change in state law.”
Despite the long lines, early voter turnout has been robust. Close to 237,000 people had voted early in Franklin County as of Sunday evening, and over 2.5 million ballots have been submitted statewide. LaRose said the early voter turnout could break the record set in 2020.
“That is great news,” he said. “We are on track to break the record we broke the record in 2020 and we are gonna break it again. I think it is proof Ohioans trust the process and they know how much of a difference it makes.”
Polls will be open on Election Day from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
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