Election 2026: Midterms in Cuyahoga County (live blog)

Election Day is here and voting has begun in earnest around the state of Ohio. Polls opened at 6:30 a.m. and will remain open until 7:30 p.m.

Registered voters can find their polling place via the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections website. Many polling locations changed this year due to the consolidation of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD). Cleveland, and surrounding suburban, voters can see a list of the polling location changes here.

Ohioans have a lot to vote on this year. The two statewide elections — for U.S. Senator and governor — have drawn national headlines for their vitriol. Both races, between Republican Jon Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown for the Senate, and between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton for governor, are expected to be close contests.

Cuyahoga County residents will also decide on two levies: a Health and Human Services levy, and the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities levy. Both could have significant impact on the social safety net in the region.

There are also an array of local issues we’ll be keeping an eye on throughout the night, like Lakewood’s proposed charter amendments.

The Land’s network of Community Journalists and professional reporters will be around Cuyahoga County observing election happenings. We’ll update this story with their observations.

1:30 p.m. update:

From Community Journalist Mary Casey Walsh: “Since I recently moved, I was going to a new voting location, Max Hayes High School.  The poll workers celebrated a first time voter, and the dozen or so voters in the gym stopped to applaud.”  

“It was heartening to see many young families bringing their children to the polls.  This neighborhood is pretty diverse, and that was reflected by the people showing up.”  

12 p.m. update:

As of noon, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections’ live voter turnout (which is an unofficial count), said that 314,000 ballots have been cast (out of nearly 878,000 eligible voters), a 36-percent turnout. For comparison, during the 2022 midterms, turnout settled around 47 percent.

Community Journalist John Chacona wrote the following.

At 6:47 at Harrison School in Lakewood’s Birdtown neighborhood, (Lakewood 04-G) the line wound from the school gym through the lobby and out the front doors. “It’s extremely heavy this morning. We requested more voting booths at 7 o’clock ,” said Ken Czerr, the voting location manager for Harrison. Twelve minutes later, the reply came back. “They said ‘You’re not getting them.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ They’re in control.”

Election volunteers scrambled to set up widely spaced tables around the perimeter of the gym; one voter to a table.  The mood of the voters seemed more serious than jubilant. Everyone–voters and poll workers alike–was quietly determined to do their civic duty, many of them before their first cup of coffee. Forty minutes elapsed between the time I entered the line and the scanner flashed Thank You. It was time for coffee.

Photos from the polling location, by John Chacona, are below.

10 a.m. update:

Community Journalist Gail Davis: “Voting at the Grant Elementary polling location in Lakewood was straightforward and quick. When I arrived just before 8:30 a.m. there was no line, and I stepped right up to check in and collect my ballot. Although most of the table top booths were occupied, I found one that was available and completed my ballot. Neighbors who went an hour later reported having to wait a couple of minutes for a booth but no problems otherwise. They called it the “busiest I have ever seen it.” Another neighbor said it was “super smooth.” Outside of the polling location, I encountered two individuals compliant with the neutral zone who had sample ballots to share. My experience was professional, quick and efficient.”

At Our Lady of Angels in Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood, voting is similarly efficient, according to Community Journalist Susan Eyerman.

8 a.m. update:

Our reporters saw long lines at polling locations in the inner-ring suburbs this morning. In Cleveland Heights, one observer said lines were around 30 minutes from door to booth. Anecdotally, they said, that was longer than the previous midterm election.

Community Journalist Erica Prange was in Lakewood at 7:30 a.m. today. “Smiling poll workers guided a steady stream of voters through the check-in and voting process at Lakewood Women’s Club Pavilion. The entire process from check-in to scanning the ballot took about 30 minutes this morning,” she said.