Are You Registered To Vote?
According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, you must register or update your voter registration no later than 30 days prior to an election. Here are the upcoming voter registration deadlines:
- The deadline to register to vote in the November 8, 2022 general election is October 11, 2022.
If you register or update your information after the deadline, the change will apply for the next election.
In-Person Voting
Your polling location varies depending on where you live, and it might not even be the closest station to you. Find your official polling location on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website. There, you can also see a sample ballot that includes your options for the Ohio legislature, local levies and ballot initiatives.
Early voting for the November 8 general election begins Wednesday, October 12 on weekdays through Monday, November 7. Early voting will also take place on the last two Saturdays before the election as well as the Sunday before the election.
- October 12-14: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- October 17-21: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- October 24-28: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- October 29: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- October 31-November 4: 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- November 5: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- November 6: 1-5 p.m.
- November 7: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Do I Need Voter ID?
Yes, but not necessarily a picture ID. To get an absentee ballot or cast your vote in person, Ohio law requires some form of acceptable identification, which includes:
- An unexpired Ohio driver’s license or state ID card with present or former address, as long as your present residential address is in the official list of registered voters for that precinct
- A military ID
- A photo ID issued by the United States government or the State of Ohio, that contains your name and current address, and that has not passed its expiration
- An original or copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other document with your name and present address ("current" means in the last 12 months).
Check the entire list of acceptable IDs here.
If you do not bring an acceptable form of ID, or if your eligibility is in question because you moved or changed your name but didn't update your registration, you can still vote using a provisional ballot.
Voting provisionally simply means that election officials need to double-check your eligibility. To do so, you must visit the your county's board of elections within one week after Election Day to provide that identification, so your vote can be counted in the final election totals. Election officials are also required to attempt to contact voters by mail, phone or email to resolve any issues with their ballots.
Absentee Voting
Absentee Voting by mail begins October 12 and ends November 7
for
the general election.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is three days before the election in which you want to vote.
If mailed, absentee ballots must be postmarked by the day before the election in order to be counted. You can also return your absentee ballot in-person to your county board of elections before the close of the polls at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
Visit the Secretary of State website for information on absentee ballots.
Military and Overseas Absentee Voting
The federal government and the State of Ohio permit the use of the FPCA by uniformed services voters and overseas voters. For your purpose, U.S. citizens who are active or reserve members of a uniformed service, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the merchant marines, and their eligible spouses and dependents may use this FPCA when their military service causes them to be absent from the Ohio residence where they are qualified to vote.
Find more information on how to request a ballot as a member of the armed services or as an Ohioan living abroad here.
Military and Overseas absentee voting begins October 12 and runs through Novmber 7.
Hospitalized Voting
If you or your minor child is in the hospital on Election Day, you must submit a properly completed and signed request to the board of elections of the county in which your voting residence is located by 3 p.m. on Election Day.
To be eligible under this provision, you or your minor child must be confined in a hospital because of an accident or unforeseeable medical emergency. If you or your minor child is hospitalized in the same county where you are registered to vote, two representatives of the board of elections can deliver the ballot to you, wait while you mark the ballot and return your voted ballot to the board office.
Additionally, you may include in your absentee ballot application a request that your county board of elections gives your unmarked ballot to a designated relative who shall deliver the ballot to you in the hospital and return your voted ballot to the board office.
Visit the Secretary of State website to request a Hospitalized Absentee Ballot Request Form.
Voters With Disabilities
Any Ohio voter with a qualifying disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act can request an absentee ballot to complete through the accessible absentee voting system.
Visit the Secretary of State website to request an Accessible Absentee Ballot.
What am I voting on?
November General Election
Ohio Governor
Governors serve as the chief executive officers of the states. As state managers, governors are responsible for implementing state laws and overseeing the operation of the state executive branch. As state leaders, governors advance and pursue new and revised policies and programs using a variety of tools, among them executive orders, executive budgets and legislative proposals and vetoes.
Democrat Candidate
- Nan Whaley, former Mayor of Dayton - Running mate: Cheryl Stephens, Cuyahoga County Council Vice President
Republican Candidate
- Mike DeWine, incumbent Governor of Ohio - Running mate: Jon Husted, incumbent Lieutenant Governor
U.S. Senate
U.S. Senators, along with members of the U.S. House of Representatives, propose, author and vote on federal legislation that touches upon all aspects of U.S. domestic and foreign policy.
In the United States Senate, all states are represented equally. Regardless of size or population, each state has two senators, who serve six-year terms.
The open Senate seat was previously held by Rob Portman (R), who first took office in 2011. On January 25, 2021, Portman announced he would not be running for re-election in 2022.
Democrat Candidate:
Republican Primary Candidate:
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Representatives, along with members of the U.S. Senate, propose, author and vote on federal legislation that touches upon all aspects of U.S. domestic and foreign policy.
The seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are apportioned based on state population according to the Census. Ohio has 15 congressional districts, and therefore has 15 representatives in the U.S. House. Ohio is losing one seat in the U.S. House in 2023 due to the results of the 2020 U.S. Census.
The most recent Congressional map approved by the Ohio Redistricting Commission, although condemned by Democrats and Voters Rights groups for being gerrymandered to favor Republicans, will likely stay in place for the 2022 election unless a federal court inervenes.
Find out what congressional district you live in here.
The primary election will determine who will be the Democrat and Republican candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives in the general election in November.
Here are the candidates in each of Ohio's congressional districts.
District 1
Democrat Candidate:
- Greg Landsman, member of the Cincinnati City Council
Republican Candidate:
- Steve Chabot, incumbent U.S. Representative
District 2
Democrat Candidate:
- Samantha Meadows
Republican Candidate:
- Brad Wenstrup, incumbent U.S. Representative
District 3
Democrat Candidate:
- Joyce Beatty, incumbent U.S. Representative
Republican Candidate:
- Lee Stahley
District 4
Democrat Candidate:
- Tamie Wilson, entrepreneur
Republican Candidate:
- Jim Jordan, incumbent U.S. Representative
District 5
Democrat Candidate:
- Craig Swartz, Chairman of the Wyandot County Democratic Party, Real Estate Agent
Republican Candidate:
- Bob Latta, incumbent U.S. Representative
District 6
Democrat Candidate:
- Louis Lyras
Republican Candidate:
- Bill Johnson, incumbent U.S. Representative
District 7
Democrat Candidate:
- Matthew Diemer
Republican Candidate:
- Max Miller
District 8
Democrat Candidate:
- Vanessa Enoch
Republican Candidate:
- Warren Davidson, incumbent U.S. Representative
District 9
Democrat Candidate:
- Marcy Kaptur, incumbent U.S. Representative
Republican Candidate:
- J.R. Majewski, U.S. Army Veteran
District 10
Democrat Candidate:
- David Esrati
Republican Candidate:
- Mike Turner, incumbent U.S. Representative
District 11
Democrat Candidate:
- Shontel Brown
Republican Candidate:
- Eric Brewer
District 12
Democrat Candidate:
- Amy Rippel Elton
Republican Candidates:
- Troy Balderson, incumbent U.S. Representative
District 13
Democrat Candidate:
- Emilia Sykes, state representative
Republican Candidate:
- Madison Gesiotto Gilbert
District 14
Democrat Candidate:
- Matt Kilboy
Republican Candidate:
- David Joyce
District 15
Democrat Candidate:
- Gary Josephson
Republican Candidate:
- Mike Carey, incumbent U.S. Representative coal lobbyist
Ohio Secretary of State
As Ohio’s chief elections officer, the Secretary of State oversees the elections process and appoints the members of boards of elections in each of Ohio’s counties.
The primary election will determine who will be the Democrat and Republican candidates for Secretary of State in the general election in November.
Democrat Candidate
- Chelsea Clark, former Forest Park councilmember
Republican Candidate
- Frank LaRose (incumbent)
Independent Candidate
Ohio Attorney General
As chief legal officers of the states, the role of an attorney general is to serve as a counselor to state government agencies and legislatures, and as a representative of the public interest.
The primary election will determine who will be the Democrat and Republican candidates for Secretary of State in the general election in November.
Democrat Primary Candidate:
- Jeffrey Crossman, state representative
Republican Primary Candidate:
- Incumbent, Dave Yost (incumbent)
Ohio Auditor
The Auditor of State is responsible for auditing all public offices in Ohio, identifying and investigating fraud in public agencies and providing financial services to local governments.
The primary election will determine who will be the Democrat and Republican candidates for Auditor in the general election in November.
Democrat Primary Candidate:
- Taylor Sappington, Nelsonville City Auditor
Republican Primary Candidate:
- Keith Faber (incumbent)
Ohio Treasurer
A state treasurer is responsible for collecting and safeguarding taxes and fees, and managing state investments.
The primary election will determine who will be the Democrat and Republican candidates for Treasurer in the general election in November.
Democrat Primary Candidate:
- Scott Schertzer, Mayor of Marion
Republican Primary Candidate:
- Robert Sprague (incumbent)
Ohio General Assembly
The Ohio General Assembly is composed of the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate. The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature and is the law-making branch of state government.
The Ohio General Assembly performs state duties in the same way that the United States Congress performs duties at the national level.
The Ohio House and Ohio Senate have separate district maps. The districts are redrawn every 10 years based on population data from the census. Ohio currently has 99 House districts and 33 Senate districts.
On March 23 Ohio secretary of State Frank LaRose ordered that Ohio House and Senate races won’t appear on the May 3 primary ballot. The races for Ohio House and Senate seats were pushed back from the normal May primary date because of disagreements over new district maps.
The Ohio Supreme Court repeatedly struck down Ohio House and Senate district maps proposed by the Ohio Redistricting Commission for being unconstitutionally gerrymandered to favor Republicans. Ohio has been ordered by a federal court to implement maps that were found unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court and hold a primary for those candidates on August 2.
Seventeen out of 33 seats in the Ohio Senate are up for election in 2022. Ten of these seats are currently held by Republicans and seven are held by Democrats.
All 99 seats in the Ohio House of Representatives are up for election in 2022. Sixty-four of these seats are held by Republicans and 35 are held by Democrats.
Find what Ohio Senate district you live in here.
Find out what Ohio House district you live in here.
While there are too many contests to list here, WOSU will provide results for all state legislature races on Election Day.
Ohio Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the court of last resort in Ohio. Most of its cases are appeals from the 12 district courts of appeals. Although state supreme court rulings on matters of state law are final, rulings on matters of federal law can be appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States.
The seats of three Ohio Supreme Court justices are up for election. Justices Maureen O'Connor, Pat Fischer, and Pat DeWine all face expiring terms.
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice
Republican Candidate
Democrat Candidate
Ohio Supreme Court Justice
Republican Candidates
Democrat Candidates
Ohio State Board of Education
The State Board of Education is made up of 19 members - 11 who are elected and eight who are appointed by the governor. In compliance with state and federal laws, school boards establish policies and regulations by which their local schools are governed.
Statewide Ballot Measures
Issue 1
Proposed State Issue 1 would allow Ohio courts to consider public safety and other factors when setting the amount of bail. The ballot issue would reverse a ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court earlier this year that said judges could not consider public safety when determining a bail amount.
Issue 2
The ballot issue that would put specific language in the Ohio Constitution banning non-citizens from voting in local elections. It was introduced after the Village of Yellow Springs in 2020 approved a village charter amendment allowing residents who are not U.S. citizens to vote in local elections.
Ohio is holding an election for five of 11 elected seats on the Ohio State Board of Education. The filing deadline is August 10, 2022.
Intermediate Appellate Court Elections
Intermediate level appellate courts' primary function is to hear appeals from the common pleas, municipal and county courts. The state is divided into 12 appellate districts. The number of judges in each district depends on a variety of factors, including the court's caseload and the size of the district. The number of judges in each district varies from four to 12.
The terms of 28 Ohio intermediate appellate court judges will expire in 2022 and 2023. The 28 seats are up for nonpartisan election on November 8, 2022.
CountyGovernment
Municipalities take responsibility for parks and recreation services, police and fire departments, housing services, emergency medical services, municipal courts, transportation services, and public works.
Several counties in Ohio will be holding municipal elections.
- Franklin County will hold elections for county auditor, county commission, and court of common pleas judges.
- Fairfield County will hold elections for auditor and county commissioner.
- Cuyahoga County will hold elections for county executive, county council, and court of common pleas judges.
- Hamilton County will hold elections for county auditor, county commission, and court of common pleas judges
- Lucas County will hold elections for county auditor, county recorder, county commission, and court of common pleas judges
Ballot Measures
There will be two ballot measures on the November ballot as of September 9.
Issue 1 if passed would require Ohio judges to "use factors such as public safety, including the seriousness of the offense, and a person's criminal record" when setting amounts and conditions of bail.
Issue 2 if passed would prohibit noncitizens from voting in local elections.
