COLUMBUS -- Amid predictions that next week's election could draw among the highest voter turnouts in Ohio history, an unprecedented number of Ohioans have elected to vote absentee.

Nearly 1.5 million voters through Oct. 24 requested an absentee ballot either in person or by mail, according to the Ohio Secretary of State's Office. Voters can still request an absentee ballot from their county board of elections through Saturday and must postmark their ballots by Monday, Nov. 3 or the ballots can be dropped off at the elections office.

"Every day people from across Ohio are expressing their confidence in our bipartisan election system by taking part in the absentee voting process," Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said in a statement. "We will continue to prepare for anticipated 80 percent voter turnout, ensuring a successful November general election."

In all, there were 1,234,996 requests by mail and 221,368 in person, according to Brunner's office.

Cuyahoga County led in the request of absentee ballots by mail, with more than 228,000 followed by Franklin with just over 208,000 requests. Brunner has predicted nearly 6.5 million Ohioans - about 80 percent of the state's registered voters - will vote in this year's presidential election and that one-third of those ballots could be absentee.