{"id":6475,"date":"2026-05-05T10:36:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T10:36:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/05\/05\/what-to-know-ahead-of-the-ohio-primary-election\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T10:36:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T10:36:46","slug":"what-to-know-ahead-of-the-ohio-primary-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/05\/05\/what-to-know-ahead-of-the-ohio-primary-election\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know ahead of the Ohio primary election"},"content":{"rendered":"<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Voters in the US state of Ohio are set to go to the polls in the state\u2019s primaries, where they will pick candidates for several key positions in the upcoming midterm elections in November.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<span>outcomes of several races in the Midwestern state could have important implications for the crucial midterms, widely seen as a referendum on United States President Donald Trump\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/4\/28\/trump-approval-dips-to-record-low-amid-iran-war-inflation-woes-poll\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">second term<\/a> and as a vote\u00a0<\/span>that will decide which party controls Congress for the remainder of his time in office.<\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n<p><span>list of 3 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>list 1 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/3\/28\/vice-president-jd-vance-tops-cpacs-straw-poll-to-be-us-president-in-2028\">Vice President JD Vance tops CPAC\u2019s straw poll to be US president in 2028<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 2 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/4\/27\/us-supreme-court-reinstates-republican-favoured-texas-electoral-map\">US Supreme Court reinstates Republican-favoured Texas electoral map<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 3 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/4\/15\/what-is-trump-backed-save-america-act-and-what-could-it-mean-for-us-vote\">What is Trump-backed SAVE America Act and what could it mean for US vote?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>When does voting take place, which races are being watched, and who are some of the main candidates? We answer those questions and more in this brief explainer.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"when-is-the-ohio-primary\">When is the Ohio primary?<\/h2>\n<p>The Ohio primary will take place on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"when-do-polls-open-and-close\">When do polls open and close?<\/h2>\n<p>Polls will open on Election Day at 6:30am local time (10:30 GMT) and close at 7:30pm (23:30 GMT).<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-s-on-the-ballot\">What\u2019s on the ballot?<\/h2>\n<p>Voters will have the chance to choose candidates in primaries for races for the US Senate, US House, governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, state supreme court, state senate and state house.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"which-races-are-front-and-centre\">Which races are front and centre?<\/h2>\n<p>The special election for one of Ohio\u2019s two US Senate seats and the race to replace Republican Governor Mike DeWine have attracted the most attention due to their ties to national politics.<\/p>\n<p>In the gubernatorial race, Trump-backed former presidential candidate and tech entrepreneur <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2023\/8\/25\/who-is-vivek-ramaswamy-the-rising-republican-presidential-candidate\">Vivek Ramaswamy<\/a> is facing off against internet personality Casey Putsch for the Republican nomination.<\/p>\n<p>That race could test how much influence Trump still holds as a potential kingmaker with Republican voters.<\/p>\n<p>The Ohio Senate race is also essential for the Democratic Party\u2019s hopes of recapturing the US Senate, where Republicans currently hold a slim majority, in November. Former US Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, is seeking to return to the Senate after <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/11\/6\/republicans-flip-the-us-senate-ending-two-years-of-democrat-control\">losing his seat<\/a> to a Republican challenger in 2024.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"who-are-the-candidates-for-governor\">Who are the candidates for governor?<\/h2>\n<p>Amy Acton, the former head of Ohio\u2019s Department of Health, is running unopposed in the Democratic gubernatorial primary and will face the Republican primary winner in November.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican primary is more contested. While Ramaswamy has emerged as the party\u2019s frontrunner, he faces a challenge from the populist right by Putsch, an auto racing engineer and right-wing political commentator.<\/p>\n<p>Putsch, who the Associated Press reported had less than $9,000 in his campaign account at the end of April compared with $31m for his rival, has pitched himself as a more earnest representative of Trump\u2019s \u201cAmerica First\u201d ideology than Ramaswamy.<\/p>\n<p>Ramaswamy has the endorsement of the state Republican Party as well as Trump himself, who called him \u201cyoung, strong, and smart\u201d while offering his \u201ccomplete and total endorsement\u201d in a social media post in November.<\/p>\n<p>A third Republican candidate, Heather Hill, was disqualified after her running mate for lieutenant governor withdrew from the race, after the two spent several days exchanging insults over social media. Her name will still appear on the ballot, but her votes will not be counted.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4544996\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4544996\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ap_69f8f4d8c0415-1777923288.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C513&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during the Warren County Republicans Lincoln Day Dinner at the Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, Ohio, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo\/Carolyn Kaster)\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4544996\">Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during the Warren County Republicans\u2019 Lincoln Day Dinner at the Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, Ohio, April 10, 2026 [Carolyn Kaster\/AP Photo]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"who-is-running-for-the-us-senate\">Who is running for the US Senate?<\/h2>\n<p>The US Senate race in Ohio is expected to be one of the closest of the midterms and an important step towards the Democratic Party\u2019s goal of snatching the majority from Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>The special election will fill a Senate seat vacated by Vice President <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/4\/9\/has-irans-10-point-plan-changed-as-jd-vance-claims\">JD Vance<\/a>, who was elected as Trump\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2024\/7\/15\/trump-picks-senator-jd-vance-of-ohio-as-his-republican-running-mate\">running mate<\/a> in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Jon Husted, who was appointed to fill the seat temporarily after Vance stepped down, is running as the incumbent, unchallenged Republican candidate.<\/p>\n<p>Former Senator Sherrod Brown, who lost his 2024 re-election race to Republican challenger Bernie Moreno, is considered the frontrunner in the Democratic primary.<\/p>\n<p>He is facing Ron Kincaid for the Democratic nomination, but maintains a strong fundraising and name recognition advantage. Polls anticipate a tight race between Brown, considered the presumptive Democratic nominee, and Husted in November.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"do-people-need-an-id-to-vote\">Do people need an ID to vote?<\/h2>\n<p>Ohio requires voters to show a form of identification, including a state driver\u2019s licence, state ID card, passport, or military ID card.<\/p>\n<p>IDs must be current and include a photograph and the voter\u2019s name as it appears on the poll list to be accepted.<\/p>\n<p>Republican lawmakers have long called for more stringent voter identification requirements, which they say are essential to safeguarding election integrity.<\/p>\n<p>There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the US, but President Trump and his allies have used false claims of rampant illegal voting to push for greater restrictions on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/4\/15\/what-is-trump-backed-save-america-act-and-what-could-it-mean-for-us-vote\">access to voting<\/a>, including through methods such as mail-in ballots.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4545006\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4545006\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26120691744892-1777923543.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C513&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown speaks during a campaign event\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4545006\">Former US Senator Sherrod Brown speaks during a campaign event ahead of primary elections at Paladin Brewing in Austintown, Ohio, on April, 30, 2026 [Phil Long\/AP Photo]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"who-can-vote\">Who can vote?<\/h2>\n<p>Any registered voter can participate in any party\u2019s primary elections. The state does not register voters by party, but considers voters affiliated with the party if they participate in its primary.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Voters in the US state of Ohio are set to go to the polls in the state\u2019s primaries, where they will pick candidates for several key positions in the upcoming midterm elections in November. The\u00a0outcomes of several races in the Midwestern state could have important implications for the crucial midterms, widely seen as a referendum &#8230; <a title=\"What to know ahead of the Ohio primary election\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/05\/05\/what-to-know-ahead-of-the-ohio-primary-election\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about What to know ahead of the Ohio primary election\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6475"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6475\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}