Early voting is under way in Brown County, where registered voters can cast a ballot in person at the Brown County Board of Elections, 9116 Hamer Road, Suite 103, in Georgetown, ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. The office is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, Oct. 23, giving residents of Georgetown, Mount Orab, Ripley, Aberdeen, Russellville and the county’s townships a chance to vote before Election Day.
The countywide question at the top of the local ballot is a proposed additional tax levy for the Brown County Board of Developmental Disabilities. The 1.5-mill levy would fund the operation of community programs and services for people with developmental disabilities, along with the acquisition, construction, renovation, financing, maintenance and operation of developmental disabilities facilities. The county auditor estimates it would collect $2,137,410 a year — about $53 a year for each $100,000 of a property’s market value — for 10 years, commencing in 2026 and first due in calendar year 2027.
County offices are also on the ballot. Voters will choose a county commissioner for a full term beginning Jan. 1, 2027, with Republican Frank Fussnecker on the ballot, and a county auditor, with Republican Jill Hall listed. A separate race fills the coroner’s office for an unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2028, where Democrat Steven A. Battaglia is the candidate on the sample ballot.
Brown County voters will also help decide who represents them in Columbus. In the 90th District state representative race, Democrat Collin Docterman faces Republican Justin Pizzulli. Those legislative choices sit alongside Ohio’s statewide contests for governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor, secretary of state, treasurer, two seats on the Ohio Supreme Court and a U.S. Senate seat, plus the statewide Issue 3 constitutional amendment, which would require voters to present an approved government-issued photo identification in order to vote.
Because ballots differ by precinct and township, the board urges every voter to review a sample ballot before heading out. The Brown County ballot display through the Ohio Secretary of State’s lookup shows each precinct’s exact candidates and questions, so there are no surprises at the check-in table — a levy or race that appears in one township may not appear in another.
Early voting hours expand in the final stretch. The board will be open Saturday, Oct. 24, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., then Monday, Oct. 26, from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., with 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. hours continuing Wednesday through Friday, Oct. 28-30. The final weekend offers Saturday, Oct. 31, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 1, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. There is no in-person early voting on Monday, Nov. 2.
Voters casting ballots by mail face firm deadlines of their own. Absentee ballot applications must be received by the board by 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and under Ohio’s current rules a voted absentee ballot must be received by the board by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to be counted, so mail voters should return ballots promptly or deliver them in person. Polls will be open across Brown County on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.