How and where to vote in the 2024 Ohio primaries? Voting center hours
This Tuesday, March 19, Ohio will hold its primary elections. Here is your voting guide: How and where to vote? Poll times and requirements.
The 2024 electoral process continues. This Tuesday, March 19, Ohio will hold its primary elections. Through this, voters will show their preference for the candidate of the party of their choice for the presidential elections on November 5.
While the candidates’ names appear on the ballot, voters’ ballots are actually assigning the number delegates who will vote for the respective candidates at each party’s Presidential Nominating Convention. For a candidate to be nominated, they need to gather a certain number of delegates in their favor.
The Republican Party has 2,429 delegates and the Democratic Party has 4,672. To win the nomination, Republican candidates require the support of 1,215 delegates, while Democrats need 1,968.
Ohio primaries: What time do the polls open and where can I vote?
Voting centers in Ohio will open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. local time. Voters have the right to vote past the poll closing time, as long as they have been in line to vote since before the cutoff time. To locate your polling place, visit the state’s website. Don’t forget to bring your official photo ID. The IDs allowed to vote are:
- Ohio Driver's License
- Ohio State Identification Card
- Provisional identification form issued by the Ohio BMV
- US Passport
- US Military Identification Card
- Ohio National Guard Identification Card
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Identification Card
How to vote in the Ohio primaries?
Only members of the party of their choice can vote this Tuesday for the candidates on the party ballots. This means that you must be affliated to one of the respective parties through your registration to exercise your right to vote in the party primaries. To find out if you are registered to vote, visit the Ohio Secretary of State’s website. The requirements to vote are:
- Be a US citizen
- Be a resident of Ohio
- Be 18 years of age or older on election day
- Not currently serving a state or federal prison sentence for a felony conviction
What is being voted on this Tuesday in Ohio?
Voters will be able to see the names of the presidential candidates on the ballot. However, what is actually voted on are the delegates who will vote for the respective candidates at the Presidential Nominating Convention of each party. To win the party nomination, candidates must gather the minimum majority of delegates in their favor.
The Republicans have 2,429 delegates, 1,215 are required to be nominated. Donald Trump reached that number last week to become the GOP presumptive nominee.
The Democrats have 4,672 delegates, while their minimum majority is 1,968 delegates. Biden also crossed that threshold last week to become the Democratic party presumptive nominee.
With the presidential race already defined, attention in Ohio is focused on the Republican battle to win the Senate. Bernie Moreno will face Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Ohio State Senator Matt Dolan in the state’s primary this Tuesday. The winner will face incumbent Senator Brown in the next general election.
Voters will also have to decide on local issues that include a proposal to expand schools to accommodate more students and fund a fourth station for the fire department.