Through the first eight days of early voting, 4,665 people have cast a ballot in person at the Miami County Courthouse. In 2022, the same stretch drew 2,235. That is more than double. It is nearly four times the 2018 total of 1,220, and about ten times the 2014 count of 487.
The surge has held steady, too. Every day this year has brought between 491 and 662 voters. Day one alone brought 640. In 2022, the best day in that stretch was 338. That is good news for anyone who wants residents involved in local decisions. But the numbers look different depending on where you live.
County-wide, there are 88 precincts, which works out to about 53 early votes per precinct. Concord Township is far above that, at about 94 per precinct. Troy is next at about 80, followed by Tipp City at 60 and Huber Heights at 56. West Milton sits near 47, and Bethel Township is at 44. Covington comes in at about 25, and Piqua at about 20.
Troy has 20 of the county’s 88 precincts. It has produced about a third of the early votes. Piqua has 16 precincts, nearly one in five, and has produced about 7% of them. Piqua has cast 325 early votes. Concord Township, with just five precincts, has cast 469.
Local ballot issues look could be part of the story. Concord Township has a fire and EMS levy and the highest turnout in the county. Troy has a school levy. Tipp City has two local levies. When people are asked directly for their tax dollars, many want to weigh in early.
But it isn’t the whole story, and I don’t want to pretend it is. Bethel Township also has a fire and EMS levy, yet its turnout sits below the county average. And Piqua has a data center referendum, an issue people are talking about. Its early turnout is still the lowest of any community.
Piqua voters may simply plan to vote closer to Election Day due to another speical election taking place at the same time and as of this publication’s date - those ballots have not been made available to Piqua voters.
Geography may play a role as well. Piqua and Bethel Township are ceratinly farther away from the courthouse in Troy, but that doesn’t explain a fairly robust participation level from Huber Heights, with nearly 56 votes per precinct.
By party registration, 2,079 early votes came from Republicans, 1,383 from voters with no party, and 1,191 from Democrats. Twelve came from Libertarians. A note on “no party.” In Ohio, that doesn’t mean undecided or moderate. It usually means the person hasn’t voted in a party primary recently. Treat it as a label, not a statement about their views.
The mix varies by place. Republicans lead in most communities. In Huber Heights, non-party voters lead, at 43%, and Democrats and Republicans are nearly even. In Piqua, non-party voters also lead, with Republicans and Democrats within ten votes of each other.
It is also worth saying what these numbers do not tell us. Early voting is only part of the picture. It tends to draw people who plan ahead. These figures cover in-person votes only, so mail ballots are not included. They cannot tell us how anyone voted, or what turnout will be on Election Day. A strong early start doesn’t guarantee a strong finish. It might mean more people are voting. It might mean the same people are voting sooner. We will know more when the final count is in.
Local ballot issues often decide things closer to home than statewide races: your fire and EMS service, your schools, how your community handles development. Those decisions affect your tax bill and your neighbors. If your part of the county is voting at a lower rate, it doesn’t mean people there don’t care. It does mean fewer voices are being heard so far. There is still time. Early in-person voting continues through the weekend before Election Day, and anyone who prefers can still vote on November 3rd.
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