‘I’m getting fed up’: Early US midterm voters line up before dawn in Ohio
AI generated
MEDINA, Ohio – Voters started lining up while it was still dark on the morning of Oct 6 at the Medina County Board of Elections as early voting began in Ohio, a state that looms large in the nationwide campaigns between Republicans and Democrats battling for control of the US Congress.
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that → get → Congress
By the time polling in the north-east Ohio county closed for the day, Democrats’ turnout eclipsed that of Republicans’ in a possible early sign that they are more motivated to vote in 2026.
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they → close → 2026
Though turnout is typically higher in presidential elections, which are run every four years, the 2026 midterm voters in Ohio have a say in one key US Senate race and two for the US House of Representatives that are seen as “toss-ups”, according to the Cook Political Report.
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that → run → Report
Registered Republicans, Democrats and independents interviewed by Reuters all shared similar frustrations: they are exhausted by political ads they see as deceptive and mean, they hate the US war with Iran and they really hate the inflation that they believe has become chronic.
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they → register → inflation
Nobody said they expected things to improved any time soon.
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things → say → ?
The third person in line waiting for polling to open at 8am local time (8pm Singapore time) was Eddie St John, 83, a retiree from the town of Wadsworth.
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polling → wait → Wadsworth
Asked what he most wanted to see fixed as a result of the election, which ends on Nov 3, St. John said: “Mostly it’s our economy.
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it → ask → Nov
It sucks.”
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It → suck → ?
“You can’t afford nothing anymore.
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You → afford → nothing
Everything’s so high.
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Everything → ’ → ?
Gas is getting worse all the time,” he said, adding, “This guy in office now he promises this.
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he → get → this
He promises that...
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He → promise → that
(but) nothing’s coming down.”
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nothing → come → ?
“This guy,” St John said, is US President Donald Trump, who is not on the ballot but whom the voter said he blames more than political parties.
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he → say → parties
Inflation, war on ballot
The party in power usually suffers in midterm elections.
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party → suffer → elections
With Republicans holding the White House and both chambers of Congress at a time when Trump’s approval rating is at a record low of 32%, Democrats are feeling increasingly competitive.
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Democrats → hold → %
Political analysts will be watching closely what unfolds in Ohio, as Trump has been a dominant force, especially among blue-collar workers who used to align with the Democratic Party.
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who → watch → Party
But with inflation running at around 3.4%, there is deep discontent over rising food, energy and housing costs.
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inflation → run → costs
The US war with Iran, launched by Trump on Feb 28 for reasons that critics say he has not clearly articulated, also has voters worried that it will become yet another “forever war”.
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it → launch → that
Troy Flohr, 59, a retired policeman with the Medina County Sheriff, complained about the array of campaign ads that he said were riddled with “half-truths”.
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he → complain → truths
Standing just feet away from a voting booth, Flohr said he usually backs Republicans but was still undecided whether to vote to reelect Republican Representative Max Miller for a third term.
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he → stand → term
“I tend to like the rest of them” running as Republicans on the 2026 ballot, Flohr added.
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Flohr → tend → ballot
He said his nephew is serving in the US Army and stationed in the Middle East.
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nephew → say → East
Without mentioning Trump by name, he said: “I’m tired of him saying the war’s going to end in two weeks, the war’s going to end next month...
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war → mention → weeks
I’m getting fed up with that.
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I → get → that
Yet Flohr said he would “probably” vote for Trump again given the chance.
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he → say → chance
“I don’t like where the Democrat Party has gone.
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Party → like → ?
I’m going to leave the rest of that comment alone,” he said when asked to elaborate.
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he → go → comment
Trump won Ohio and the state’s 17 electoral votes handily in 2016, 2020 and 2024, despite losing the 2020 presidential race to Democrat Joe Biden.
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Trump → win → Biden
This election could depend on whether disaffected Democrats return to their party and whether many independents turn their backs on Trump’s Republicans.
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independents → depend → Republicans
Medina County, seen as a swing district, has 132,345 registered voters, of which 29,466 are Republicans and 15,872 Democrats.
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29,466 → see → which
Election officials say there are 86,762 independents, who could determine whether Republicans continue their success there.
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Republicans → say → success
Despite Republicans’ advantage in registered voters in the county, 499 Democrats cast ballots on Oct 6, compared with 374 Republicans, along with 291 independents.
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Democrats → register → independents
That is a significant reversal from the first day of voting in 2024, when 369 Democrats voted, compared with 702 Republicans and 433 independents, according to county data.
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Democrats → vote → data
Even more telling is data from the 2022 midterm election, when 198 Republicans cast a vote in the first day of early voting, compared to 139 Democrats and 68 independents.
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Republicans → cast → Democrats
Senate seat in play
Former Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, is trying to return to the Senate, where he served for 18 years before being defeated two years ago by Republican Senator Bernie Moreno.
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he → try → Moreno
This time around, Brown, a populist Democrat who long railed against US trade deals with foreign competitors, is attempting to unseat Republican Jon Husted in a special election with the winner holding the seat through 2028.
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winner → rail → 2028
Political analysts see the race between Husted and Brown as a toss-up.
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analysts → see → up
With Republicans currently holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, Democrats are hoping for a net gain of at least four seats, including in Ohio, in order to control the chamber.
Close House races
Meanwhile, two neck-and-neck US House races could help determine the 2026 majority in that chamber, which Republicans currently hold with a 218-214 margin.
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Republicans → hold → margin
is aligned with Republicans and there are two vacancies that will be filled in the midterm elections.
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that → align → elections
…and 7 more, not listed.
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