COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Tuesday, March 15 is primary night in Ohio, and voters will play a big role in this year’s elections.
On Ohio Primary day, you’ll be able to cast your ballot at the polls from 6:30am until 7:30pm. When you head to the polling site, you may only vote in one party’s primary. You don’t have to be currently registered with that party to vote in that party’s primary, but you may only choose one. Once you choose a party’s ballot, you will be registered to vote with that party’s affiliation until the next primary election.
Any voters who choose to vote unaffiliated will not to get choose a presidential candidate, but they may still vote for issues, such as parks or school bonds.
What do I need to vote?
Voters must already be registered in order to vote in the primary. You can check your registration status here. Voters are also required to present proof of identification in order to vote in all Ohio elections.Acceptable forms of ID:
- An unexpired Ohio driver’s license or state identification card with present or former address so long as the voter’s present residential address is printed in the official list of registered voters for that precinct;
- A military identification;
- A photo identification that was issued by the United States government or the State of Ohio, that contains the voter’s name and current address and that has an expiration date that has not passed;
- An original or copy of a current utility bill with the voter’s name and present address;
- An original or copy of a current bank statement with the voter’s name and present address;
- An original or copy of a current government check with the voter’s name and present address;
- An original or copy of a current paycheck with the voter’s name and present address; or
- An original or copy of a current other government document (other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections) that shows the voter’s name and present address.
If a voter shows up without proper identification, that voter will still be allowed to vote provisionally as long as they provide either their Ohio driver’s license or state identification numbers or the last four digits of their social security number. Once the information is reviewed and verified by the board of elections, the ballot will be counted.
Where can I vote?
On Election Day, you must cast your ballot in your precinct at your designated polling place. This information is provided on your Voter Registration certificate. If you do not have it, you can find your polling site using the search function on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.
What’s on the ballot?
The offices up for election in 2016 include the US President, all 16 US Representatives from Ohio, 1 US Senator from Ohio, the Justices of the Ohio Supreme Court, 16 state senators, all 99 state representatives and various local elected offices.
- Tap here to see a Democratic party primary sample ballot.
- Tap here to see a Republican party primary sample ballot.
- Tap here to see a Green party primary sample ballot.
You can also use this tool to find out which state legislators represent your district.
Tune into NBC4 News and bookmark nbc4i.com/ohiovotes for your full election night results on Tuesday.