Early voting is underway in many states ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. While millions of Americans have already cast their ballots either by mail or by voting early, with the November 3rd Election Day looming next week, time is running out for those who still plan to vote. In Cleveland, while mail-in and online registration deadlines have passed, in-person early voting is still an option at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections until 5:00 PM on Sunday, November 1st. A full schedule of remaining early voting times can be accessed here. After Sunday, voters can vote at their polling location on November 3 between 6:30 AM and 7:30 PM.
On Election Day, all 435 U.S. House seats and roughly one-third of U.S. Senate seats (33 of 50) will be decided by Americans who exercise their right to vote. Additionally, this year’s midterm elections carry even higher stakes for Ohioans, where our state’s entire executive leadership will change hands. Facing term limits, our governor, attorney general, auditor, secretary of state, and treasurer roles are all on the ballot, and no matter who wins, we’ll see a full changing of the guards. The candidates Ohioans choose will set education funding formulas, Medicaid policy, business regulations, and how future elections are run and audited—all without an incumbent track record to fall back on.
Similarly, with all of Ohio's 15 U.S. House seats up for grabs, the results of Tuesday's elections stand to shake up power dynamics in the House. Whoever ends up representing the districts spanning Greater Cleveland in Congress will vote on federal funding tied to the Cleveland Clinic and MetroHealth systems, infrastructure dollars for the Innerbelt and RTA, and Great Lakes environmental protections—issues that touch all of our daily lives.
This year’s midterm ballots in Cuyahoga County also include county council seats, judicial races, and levies for funding disability services and health and human services. These are races that will affect nearly all of YWCA Greater Cleveland’s program participants, as well as our ability to provide crucial services for them.
Midterms are a crucial opportunity for voters to stand up for themselves and their community. For Greater Cleveland, the 2026 midterms could hold the most powerful stakes of our generation, and our individual and collective futures could drastically change because of the momentous decisions on the November 3rd ballot. YWCA Greater Cleveland encourages you to show up at the polls and help shape the policies you want to see in place.