Hamilton County voters hit the polls early ahead of November election

CINCINNATI —

The earliest of the early voters on day one of the 2025 election season in Hamilton County had to dodge raindrops on the way in. The weather seemed to have a definite dampening effect on turnout.

Although, when compared with 2021, another odd year election, there were 29 more voters in the morning than there were four years ago. Advertisement

At mid-afternoon, 346 voters showed up to vote early. Among them: a father and his 18-year-old daughter. For her, it was a first-time experience.

She and other first-time voters got to ring a bell, a ceremonial, audible welcome to the category of those who vote.

"I didn't realize how big the piece of paper was going to be when it came to voting,” said Carson Smedley, who has political science classmates she said would be proud of he