2026 general election: Be ready to vote for gun rights as early voting nears

The Nov. 3, 2026, general election might be more than six weeks away, but early and absentee voting begins in less than two weeks.

According to the Ohio Secretary of State's Office voting calendar, military and overseas voting begins Thursday, Oct. 1, followed by absentee voting by mail and early in-person voting Tuesday, Oct. 6.

The deadline to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 5.

The only statewide issue on the ballot is State Issue 3, a proposed constitutional amendment requiring voters to present a photo ID in order to vote. If passed, the amendment would take effect immediately and provide for the following, according to the ballot language:

• Require voters to present an approved form of government-issued photo identification in order to vote.
• Allow state law to provide for an alternative method of verifying a voter's identity for a voter who has a sincere religious objection to being photographed and, therefore, does not possess an approved form of government-issued photo identification.
• Require that voters who do not vote in person provide an approved form of government-issued photo identification, unless the law authorizes those persons to vote by providing a signature and at least one other specified unique identifier.
• Define approved forms of government-issued photo identification as an unexpired Ohio driver license or state identification card; a United States passport or passport card; or a United States military identification card, Ohio National Guard identification card, or United States Department of Veterans Affairs identification card.

It is important that gun owners know which federal- and state-level candidates will protect and defend their right to bear arms, and Buckeye Firearms Association has compiled a list of BFA-PAC-endorsed candidates, including a few county-level races.

At the forefront is the race between Republicans Vivek Ramaswamy/Rob McColley and Democrats Amy Acton/David Pepper for Ohio governor/lieutenant governor. Ramaswamy and McColley have vowed publicly and often to protect, defend, and advance gun rights. Acton, on the other hand, has the endorsement of Everytown For Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action.

To see a sample ballot specifically for you in your county, including all candidates and issues, visit the Ohio SOS' Sample Ballot webpage at ohiosos.gov/directories/sample-ballot.

Joe D. "Buck" Ruth, a pen name for Scott Hummel, is a longtime small-game hunter and gun owner who spent nearly three decades in the news industry. He is the website and social-media manager for Buckeye Firearms Association.