OHIO'S PRIMARY ELECTIONS
Where do I vote in a primary?
You cast your ballot at the polling place designated to serve the precinct in which you reside. If you live in Hamilton County you may inquire about the location of your polling place, your voter registration or download an absentee ballot request form at: http://www.hamilton-co.org/BOE/. If you live in another county contact your local board of elections. Reminder: Voter registration closes 30 days before a General, Primary or Special Election.
What is the difference between the primary election and the general election?
Political parties hold primary elections to nominate candidates to run for offices as the party’s nominee at the upcoming general election. Political parties also hold primary elections to elect political party state and county central committees. At the general election, the candidates for all offices who are the nominees of the various political parties appear on the ballot with the political party’s label as well as any independent candidates that have filed for the particular office, and all voters may vote for any candidate for the offices on the ballot.
Why do I have to declare my party affiliation when I vote in the primary election?
In Ohio, only voters who are affiliated with a political party or who desire to become affiliated with a political party may vote in that political party’s primary election. Under Ohio law, a person becomes “affiliated” with a political party by voting a specific political party’s ballot. For example, when you go to the polls during a primary election and you request a political party’s ballot you are affiliating yourself with the political party whose ballot that you choose.
When I went to vote during the last primary election the poll worker asked for my party affiliation. I thought my party affiliation was a private matter. Why do I have to tell a poll worker my party affiliation?
Although your actual vote is kept secret from everyone, the type of ballot you request is a matter of public record. Meaning, everyone that votes in a primary election has his or her political party affiliation recorded with his or her county board of elections. The political party affiliation for voters who cast a ballot during a primary election is a public record. This requirement does not mean that the choices you made on your ballot will be made known to anyone else except you.
What if I do not want to state my party affiliation?
You are required to state your party affiliation at Ohio’s primary election if you want to vote for a specific political party’s candidates. For example, if you want to vote for a particular candidate running for Governor, you are required to state your affiliation with that political party.
May I vote on ballot issues in a primary without declaring my politics?
Yes, you may vote on issues without voting for the candidates of a political party by requesting an “issues-only” ballot. This ballot will not have any candidates listed for selection and is only available if there are issues on the ballot in your precinct.
I consider myself an “Independent” but want to vote for a specific candidate. May I vote for candidates at the primary election without affiliating with a political party?
In Ohio, if you go to the polls during the primary election and request an “Independent” ballot, you will only be permitted to vote on issues; no candidates will appear on your ballot. If you want to vote for candidates at the primary election, then you must state a political affiliation with one of the six recognized political parties: Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Republican, or Socialist. There is no “Independent” political party in Ohio. However, at the general election, you may vote for any political party’s candidate you desire to support.
When I voted in the last primary election, I voted in a different political party’s primary election than I normally do. Now my party affiliation states I am affiliated with that particular party. Why?
When you request and cast your ballot for a particular party you are choosing to be affiliated with that political party. You will continue to be affiliated with that political party until the next primary election, at which point you may change your affiliation if other political parties are holding a primary election.
How do I change my party affiliation?
You are only able to change your party affiliation when you cast your ballot during a primary election. You cannot request that your party affiliation be changed at your county board of elections, or any other office or entity associated with elections in Ohio. Only the casting of a political party’s ballot will change your party affiliation.
When I went to vote during the primary election, an elections official “challenged” me. Why did this happen?
If a voter requests a political party’s ballot at a primary election that is different than the political party’s ballot that the person requested at the previous primary election (for example, you voted Democrat during the last primary, but are voting Republican during this primary) you will be challenged. It is the poll workers responsibility under Ohio law to challenge any person that requests a ballot that is different than the last ballot cast at a primary election. However, for the 2010 primary election, persons who desire to vote in the primary elections of the newly-recognized political parties (Constitution, Green, Libertarian, and Socialist) may not be challenged.
Why are the primary and general elections so different?
Ohio’s primary elections are for the purpose of nominating candidates of political parties and require that voters affiliate themselves with a particular political party to participate in the primary election by voting for that party’s candidates for office. During a general election, voters have the option to vote for any of the candidates that are on the ballot.
I noticed when I voted that I could vote in a primary election for a political party other than just “Republican” and “Democratic.” Why are there different political parties holding primary elections this year?
Citizens have the right to form political parties and to have the candidates of those political parties appear on the ballot with the party label. Minor political parties have been granted access to Ohio’s primary elections process for the 2010 election cycle. Therefore, voters will see a list of political party choices (other than just the two major political parties) on their absentee ballot application, and both major and minor political party ballots will be available to vote as an absentee ballot and on Election Day.
Source: Ohio Secretary of State’s website at http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/
March 2010
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