Some races went down to the wire

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced a record number of close races in the 2025 general election following a successful post-election audit.

“Tight races underscore why election integrity matters, and it reinforces the need for a zero-tolerance approach to unlawful voting,” said Secretary LaRose. “A single illegitimate vote has the potential to undermine the outcome of an election for an entire community, whether it’s a school levy or a seat in Congress. At the same time, these close races show that only one engaged citizen can make all the difference in an election.”

Close election highlights

• 81 contests were decided after an automatic recount, 72 of which were decided by 20 votes or fewer.
• 53 of 88 counties had close races that triggered an automatic recount.
• 32 contests came down to within one vote, including 10 tie votes.

Around the state, a total of nine races were tied after automatic recounts. In the case of a tie vote for a candidate race, the winner is determined by a random method such as drawing names from a hat or flipping a coin. This must be done in front of a board majority at a properly noticed public meeting. If a tie occurs on a ballot issue, the issue fails.

Additionally, the state of Ohio averaged a 99.9 percent accuracy rate after each county conducted a post-election audit.

“We don’t just ask Ohioans to trust the process — we trust but verify,” Secretary LaRose added. “Confidence in our elections comes from transparency and accountability, and Ohio’s bipartisan election officials continue to prove why our state sets the national gold standard.”

A post-election audit is a comprehensive review of results to verify that the election was accurate. Prior to an election, county boards of elections are required to conduct a full battery of logic and accuracy (L&A) testing on all voting equipment. After each election, a bipartisan team of Republicans and Democrats from county boards of elections compares the tabulated results to the hardcopy paper ballots to ensure fidelity between the two.