Miami County's Early Vote Is Shattering Expectations

Vol. III, No. 330 - Over 1,500 ballots cast already in early in-person voting at County Courthouse

Last month, this publication noted something worth watching: early voting in a quiet April primary was outpacing 2022 at a rate that didn’t make obvious sense. No Senate showdown with national attention. No hotly contested governor’s race. Scattered yard signs and no billboards. Yet voters were showing up to the Miami County Courthouse in numbers that suggested something was pulling them in.

Seventeen days later, that something has become undeniable.

As of last Friday, 1,618 ballots have been cast in-person — and the daily pace is accelerating, not flattening. The most recent five days logged 127, 141, 128, 138, and 203 ballots. That last number, 203 in a single day, is the kind of figure you’d associate with a primary election featuring statewide races with real competitive energy. In reality, this is a primary anchored by one ballot question.

The 2022 Comparison No Longer Holds

When this publication first reported on early voting nine days in, 2026 was outpacing 2022 by nearly three to one. Through seventeen days, that gap has only widened.

Through the same seventeen-day window in 2022 — a primary with a nationally watched Republican Senate race and competitive gubernatorial contests in both parties — Miami County recorded 578 in-person ballots. This year: 1,618. That’s nearly three times the participation at the same point in the cycle, in an election that looks pedestrian from the outside.

Here’s what makes that figure even more striking: the entire in-person early vote in 2022 finished at 1,833 ballots — 1,355 Republican, 475 Democratic, and 3 non-partisan. With more than a week of early voting still remaining before Election Day, this cycle has already logged 1,618 and is on pace to surpass the full 2022 in-person total before Election Day arrives.

Where the Votes Are Coming From

The community-level numbers are worth sitting with.

Troy leads with 668 ballots — 360 Republican, 270 Democratic, 5 Libertarian, and 23 non-partisan. On the first day of early voting, Troy had contributed 119 of the initial 257 county-wide ballots. The city remains the dominant source of early votes, which tracks given that Troy holds the largest share of registered voters in the county and is the home to the county courthouse, making early voting pretty convenient.

Piqua now sits at 141 ballots, with a notable partisan profile: 81 Democratic, 53 Republican, 1 Libertarian, and 6 non-partisan. Seventeen days ago, Piqua had 19 early ballots and this publication called it a cause for concern. At 141 and climbing — with Democrats leading the count — Piqua voters appear to have answered that call directly.

Tipp City has recorded 103 ballots, split 56 Republican and 45 Democratic. Bethel Township, smaller in registered voters, has cast 59 ballots with a 37-to-22 Republican advantage. Every community is running well ahead of its 2022 pace.

The Partisan Story Has a Headline

Countywide, the 2026 partisan split through seventeen days stands at 938 Republican, 614 Democratic, 9 Libertarian, and 57 non-partisan ballots.

Compare that to 2022’s final in-person totals: 1,355 Republican, 475 Democratic, and 3 non-partisan. Democrats in Miami County have already surpassed their entire 2022 in-person early vote total with more than a week left. Republicans are at 69% of their 2022 final figure and accelerating toward it. This isn’t a one-sided surge — it’s broad-based participation across party lines.

The 57 non-partisan ballots deserve a separate mention. These are voters who drove to the courthouse, declined a party primary, and voted on the issues ballot alone. In 2022, that category finished at 3 total. The jump to 57 isn’t noise. It’s a focused civic act, repeated dozens of times, by people who have one specific thing on their mind.

Voter turnout is one of the clearest measures of civic health a community has. It tells you whether residents believe the decisions being made around them are worth weighing in on. The early data in Miami County says they do.

There’s Still Time to Add Your Ballot

Early in-person voting continues at the Miami County Board of Elections through May 3. Election Day is Tuesday, May 6. This week features extended hours, including hours this weekend:

Tuesday, April 28th - 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 29th - 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 30th - 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Friday, May 1st - 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 2nd - 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 3rd - 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Early voting takes place at the historic Miami County Courthouse, 215 West Main Street in Troy.

The best way to make sure the final count reflects where Miami County actually stands is to show up before or on May 5 and add your ballot to it.

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