What time is the best time to vote on Election Day?

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - Record numbers of early voters flocked to the Franklin County Board of Elections before Election Day, with 245,477 votes cast so far, including mail-in ballots already returned.

"Through yesterday, we voted 127,000 voters here in person, which is a phenomenal number," Aaron Seller, spokesman for the Franklin County Board of Election, said. "In 2020, we did 117,000; 2016, we voted 83,000 people here."

He thinks the turnout will continue onto Election Day. 

"With the numbers that we're having, I just, I can't imagine that it's not going to be a big day tomorrow," Sellers said. "We usually have 40% vote before Election Day, 60%, on Election Day. So a majority, still a majority of people will vote tomorrow. Even with all the fantastic numbers that we have."

The lines for early voting on the last day, Sunday, exceeded any barriers the Board of Elections had erected. Thousands of people started lining up at 9:30 in the morning Sunday before polls opened at 1 p.m.

"I haven't seen anything like that in, you know, 17 years that I've, that I've been at the Board of Elections, and, you know, ultimately, all everybody that was in line got to vote," Sellers said.

Everyone in line at the time polls close gets to cast their vote.

"We were here until about 745 yesterday voting everybody that was in line at 5," Sellers said.

Some voters waited for three and a half hours to cast their vote on Sunday. Those wait times won't be replicated on Tuesday, however.

"Depending on when you go, there may be some lines, but it would look nothing like what, what folks saw yesterday, whether it was on the news or on social media," Sellers said.

There are 302 polling locations in Franklin County, so all 350,000-plus expected voters will be spread out. Sellers said there will still be lines at times throughout the day, so if you want to avoid the lines, you should choose your time wisely.

Brian Mead, Director of the Licking County Board of Elections said, "Busiest is normally right when they open at 6:30, we'll have people outside waiting for about a half an hour to get in," Brian Mead, director of the Licking County Board of Elections, said.

"Six-thirty until about 8 (a.m.), there is sort of a rush between 8, 9, that that's when it starts going down," Mead added. "Then it picks back up the lunch hour. So, it's a good time [to vote] around 9. Also around 2. From 4 (p.m.) to 7:30 (p.m.), you know, it'll be continuous for the folks coming after work."

Licking County has 27 polling locations. Mead said he expects 50,000 voters spread across those locations on Tuesday. Two trends Mead noticed this election were fewer absentee ballots than in 2020 and more registered Republicans voting early.

He attributes the drop in absentee voting to the 2020 election being during COVID.

Polls open statewide at 6:30 a.m. and will be open until 7:30 p.m. Anyone who is in line to vote at 7:30 p.m. will be permitted to cast their vote.

Voters who need to return their absentee ballots must do so at their county's board of elections, not their voting precinct.