Graphic of the week: Voter participation ticks up in Ohio

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As the Oct. 5 voter registration deadline approaches ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election, U.S. Census data found that voter participation in Ohio increased by 4 percentage points from 2012 to 2024, as illustrated above.

In HPIO’s 2026 Health Value Dashboard, Ohio ranked 25th out of 51 states on civic engagement, which included both voter registration (75.1% of citizens of voting-age) and voter turnout (67.4% of citizens voting-age). These have both improved over the last four presidential elections since 2012.
 
In 2023, HPIO visualized data from Healthy Democracy Healthy People (HDHP), a nonpartisan initiative of national public health and civic engagement organizations, that showed a two-way relationship between voting and community health.
 
HDHP developed a Health and Democracy Index that compares public health indicators and voter turnout to restrictiveness of state voting policies. The analysis found that states with more inclusive voting policies and greater levels of civic participation tend to be healthier.
 
Ohioans can register to vote online with a valid driver’s license or Ohio identification number, name, date of birth, address and the last four digits of the registrant’s Social Security number.