CLEVELAND — Tuesday, Aug. 2 is a special Primary Election Day in Ohio - the second primary this year after legal disputes over the state's redistricting maps forced several elections to be held at this later date.
Here's what you need to know:
Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Absentee ballots that were not mailed can be returned to your county's board of elections by 7:30 p.m.
Where to vote
Click here to find your polling location. Note that in Cuyahoga County, several polling locations have moved, affecting tens of thousands of voters. Click here for more information.
Who is on your ballot?
This primary election includes races between state senators and representatives at the Ohio Statehouse. See who is on your ballot here.
Race to watch
Due to the state's redistricting effort this year, two incumbent Democrats are facing off for the chance to represent the House's new 16th District, which includes Westlake, Bay Village and North Olmsted. Read more about that race here.
Where can I see results?
Results will be updated in real-time starting after the polls close at 7:30 p.m. here: 2022 Primary Election Results.
Note that these results are unofficial until certified by each county's board of elections.
Will I need an ID to vote?
All voters will need to bring an acceptable identification to the poll in order to verify their identity. Click here for a list of acceptable forms of identification.
If you are all about bragging about exercising your right to vote, you can save and share the I VOTED sticker on social media to let your fellow Ohioans know you voted. Click here to download the sticker.
What is a primary election and can I vote in it?
Primary elections, held several months before the General Election in November, allow voters to nominate a candidate from one political party to run for that seat in the General Election.
Ohio primaries are partisan but open, meaning voters do not have to register as one political party before the election, but will have to choose to nominate candidates from one party when they vote by selecting and voting on one party’s partisan ballot at the polling place.
Voters who wish to remain unaffiliated will not be allowed to nominate partisan candidates, but they can vote on non-partisan ballot questions and issues.
Winners in Ohio primary elections are determined by plurality, meaning a candidate does not need over 50% of the vote to be considered the winner of the primary election, they only need the highest vote count of the primary candidates running.
Why aren't governor, U.S. Senator, or other candidates on the ballot?
The primary election held on May 3 was for statewide candidates, including governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor, secretary of state, U.S. senator, U.S. House representatives, as well as several county-level races.
See official results from the May 3 Primary here.
Here is our coverage of some of the winners from that election:
- Tim Ryan projected to win Democratic Senate primary, ABC News reports
- J.D. Vance wins Ohio GOP Senate Primary, AP projects
- Brown defends House seat in Democratic Primary, AP projects
- Former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley wins Democratic primary for Ohio governor, ABC News projects
- Mike DeWine wins Republican primary for Ohio governor, ABC News projects
- Chris Ronayne wins Democratic primary for county executive
Races for state senators and state representatives were split into this second primary due to ongoing issues with the redistricting process.
What's next?
The winners of the May 3 Primary Election and the August 2 Primary Election will face off in the Nov. 8 General Election.
If you missed your chance to register for either primary, the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 General Election is Oct. 11. Early in-person and vote-by-mail absentee voting begins the next day.
Click here for a complete calendar of deadlines for the upcoming election.
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
