COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Two weeks from Election Day, more than 20% of eligible central Ohio voters may not be able to cast their votes on Nov. 4.
On Oct. 6, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose launched a new voter registration data platform, which NBC4 used to analyze voting data for 23 central Ohio counties. According to state records, one in 10 eligible central Ohioans are not registered to vote. Even those who are registered may still be unable to cast their votes, as nearly 14% of registered voters need to confirm their registration online.
Ohioans who have previously registered to vote may need to still confirm their records. State data shows 22.4% of eligible central Ohio voters must either register or confirm their registration before they are able to vote. See previous coverage of 2025 November voting information in the video player above.
As long as Ohioans do not move and vote in every election, they do not need to re-register. However, voter registration may be canceled if someone has not voted in a long time, or if their record does not reflect their current address. State cancelations account for the gap between active registered voters and inactive ones.
According to state records, central Ohio is home to more than 2 million adults who are eligible to vote, 1.8 million of whom are registered. Registration rates vary by county, although counties experiencing rapid population growth may have a skewed registration rate.
Only three central Ohio counties are not considered rural by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, and all three had more than 90% of eligible voters registered. Franklin, Delaware and Licking counties are all experiencing rapid growth, however, which may contribute to the data.
Delaware County, for instance, had nearly 10,000 more registered voters than eligible voters. The state reports current registration data, but relies on 2023 data for its count of total eligible voters. For counties like Delaware that are seeing rapid population growth, the number of registered voters in 2025 has surpassed the number of eligible voters in 2023.
State data also offers information about voter demographics. Most central Ohioans have not registered to vote with an official party, with 73% of registrants unaffiliated. In every county, voters ages 65 and up were the largest registered demographic.
Ohioans will vote on a variety of local issues on Nov. 4. Early voting is already underway, allowing Ohioans to vote early in-person at their local county board of elections’ office. Polls typically open around 7:30 or 8 a.m., and close at 5 p.m. Starting the week of Oct. 27, times extend further into the evening to accommodate hours after the typical work day.
Ohioans can check if they are properly registered online through the Secretary of State’s office.
