2026 is a midterm election year. Here's what that means

Primary elections are when voters decide a party’s candidate for the upcoming general election. These are typically held in the spring for the fall election. Other issues, both state and local, may also be on a primary ballot.

Most primaries are partisan, meaning candidates from the same party are running against each other for their party’s nomination. Later, in the general election, each party’s candidates run against each other for the chance to be elected by voters. 

 

All registered Ohio voters can vote in the Ohio primary.

Different states have different rules, but in Ohio, we don’t have to be registered with a political party to vote for candidates in a primary.

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Whether you consider yourself an Independent, Republican, Democrat, 3rd Party, or just ‘unaffiliated’, you can still vote in Ohio’s primary.

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Ohio has ‘semi-open’ primaries- that means voters, regardless of whether they consider themselves a member of a political party or not, can choose which party’s primary to vote in. But the voter has to choose candidates from just one party to vote for. They can choose between the Republican candidates running for their party’s nomination, the Democratic candidates running for their party’s nomination, or, sometimes, the Libertarian candidates running for their party’s nomination—but they have to pick just one party.

In some primaries, there’s a second, nonpartisan ballot that every eligible voter can vote on. This ballot could include nonpartisan candidates like school board candidates or judges, or it could have state or local issues on it, like an amendment to change Ohio’s constitution or increase funding for neighborhood schools.​

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This year, Ohioans will be voting on candidates seeking office for positions at the federal, state, and county level.

Federal offices 

• 1 US Senate seat

• All 15 US House seats

Ohio state offices

• Ohio Governor

• Ohio Attorney General

• Ohio Secretary of State

• Ohio Treasurer

• Ohio Auditor

• 2 of 7 Ohio Supreme Court seats 

County offices​

• County Commissioner or County Council

• Prosecuting Attorney

• County Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas

• County Sheriff

• County Recorder

• County Treasurer,

• County Engineer

• County Coroner

• County Auditor

• Municipal Court Clerk

​State and local issues

• No statewide issues on the ballot for the primary: We could have up to 3 proposed constitutional amendments and 1 referendum to vote on in the fall—citizen groups are collecting signatures for these efforts now.

• Local levies, bonds, and issues: Many Ohio communities will be voting on levies that will decide if local services will get new or continued funding through local property or income tax. Schools are the most common type of levy; public safety levies that fund policy and fire departments are also common, as are levies that fund libraries, social services, and parks.

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Why should I vote in a primary election?

✅ When all voters cast their vote in a primary election, it helps ensure that the candidates in the general election are more representative of the people—voters don’t have to choose between the lesser of two evils.

✅ The kinds of policies supported by the winners in a primary influence not just that race and that office but the entire election—it shapes the conversations that voters have and don’t have that year. 

✅ Candidates listen to the voters who come out for them early—right now, that’s most likely to be people on the most extreme ends of the political parties, so the candidates who win primaries tend to be more extreme, too. It doesn’t have to be that way.

✅ In gerrymandered districts that strongly favor one party over another, the winner of the dominant party’s primary is very likely to win in the general election against the weaker party—the primary is the real race. 

✅ For now, voter turnout in the primaries is a lot less than in general elections— that makes the power of your vote even more concentrated.

 

Where can I find what will be on my ballot? 

​Your county Board of Elections office has sample ballots for voters to see what offices are up for election, and who the candidates are. You can find your county’s Board of Elections here. Once you are on your county’s site, you will enter your name and the ballot options for your district will come up.

 

Where can I find information about the candidates and issues on my ballot?

Vote411 has personalized nonpartisan information about the candidates and issues on your ballot. Voters just enter their address and everything on their ballot will pop up.

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Candidate forums and debates are helpful ways to learn what candidates think about different issues, and how they would act in a variety of scenarios. Going to candidate events and looking at their website will also tell you what their priorities as an elected official would be, too. All of these things can also give some clues about personality and temperament, but be sure to observe more than one of these to give you a fuller picture of the candidate’s intentions and capacities.    

 

Your local media can also be a good source of information, especially when candidates participate in interviews. Often local papers will publish the candidates' positions and background ahead of the election, and it can be helpful to look at them side by side. 

 

When is the deadline to register to vote for the primary?

April 6 is the last day to register to vote or to update your voter registration. You can do that here. 

 

When is Election Day?

​Election Day is May 5th, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

 

When is early voting? 

You can vote early at your county's early voting center; check with your county Board of Elections for info—go here to find yours. Early voting starts on April 7.

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How about voting by mail aka absentee voting?

Yes, voters can absolutely choose to vote by mail, and we don't need any special reason in Ohio. Voting by mail can be an especially good option for people who don’t have an Ohio driver’s license or Ohio BMV-issued Ohio ID, as only the last 4 digits of their Social Security number are required, or who have schedules that can be unpredictable.

 

Be sure to give yourself plenty of time for your ballot to arrive, and return your ballot as quickly as you can by mail or by placing it in your county Board of Elections’ dropbox. Whether you're sending your ballot through the mail, or returning it in person to your county Board of Elections by taking your ballot inside or dropping it outside in the dropbox, absentee ballots must be received by your county Board of Elections by 7:30 pm on Election Day.  

 

If you are unable to get your ballot into the mail or take it to the drop box yourself, it's important to know that Ohio law restricts who can help you. Voters with disabilities can have any family or support person drop their ballot into the drop box at the voter's county board of elections. For all other voters, the following family members are the only people who can provide this assistance to voters:

• father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother, or sister of the whole or half blood, or the son, daughter, adopting parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece

 

Those dropping off ballots on behalf of someone else must sign an attestation form at their county board of elections affirming their identity. 

 

What kind of ID is required to vote?

​Voting in person, either during the early voting period or on Election Day, requires one of the following kinds of ID:

• Ohio BMV-issued driver’s license (it’s ok if the address is not current)

• Ohio BMV-issued State of Ohio ID card

• Ohio BMV-issued interim ID

• US Passport or Passport card

• US Military ID card

• Ohio National Guard ID card

• US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card

 

All IDs must have:

• An expiration date that has not passed

• A photo of the voter

• The voter’s name, which must be the same or nearly the same as it appears on the Poll List or Poll Book

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The address on your ID does not need to match your registration.

 

What if I don’t have any of the IDs listed here?

• You can vote by mail, aka vote by absentee ballot– only the last 4 digits of your Social Security number is needed for that.

• You can get a free State of Ohio ID if you are at least 17 years old through the Ohio BMV

• You can get help through VoteRiders – they can help get the documents you need to prove your identity, help pay BMV fines preventing you from having a driver’s license, and even help connect you with a lawyer if you need one.

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Make a plan to vote!

Go here to get tips on how to be prepared for any election.