What to know ahead of the Ohio primary election

Voters successful the US authorities of Ohio are acceptable to spell to the polls successful the state’s primaries, wherever they volition prime candidates for respective cardinal positions successful the upcoming midterm elections successful November.

The outcomes of respective races successful the Midwestern authorities could person important implications for the important midterms, wide seen arsenic a referendum connected United States President Donald Trump’s second term and arsenic a vote that volition determine which enactment controls Congress for the remainder of his clip successful office.

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When does voting instrumentality place, which races are being watched, and who are immoderate of the main candidates? We reply those questions and much successful this little explainer.

When is the Ohio primary?

The Ohio superior volition instrumentality spot connected Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

When bash polls unfastened and close?

Polls volition unfastened connected Election Day astatine 6:30am section clip (10:30 GMT) and adjacent astatine 7:30pm (23:30 GMT).

What’s connected the ballot?

Voters volition person the accidental to take candidates successful primaries for races for the US Senate, US House, governor, lawyer general, caput of state, treasurer, authorities ultimate court, authorities legislature and authorities house.

Which races are beforehand and centre?

The peculiar predetermination for 1 of Ohio’s 2 US Senate seats and the contention to regenerate Republican Governor Mike DeWine person attracted the astir attraction owed to their ties to nationalist politics.

In the gubernatorial race, Trump-backed erstwhile statesmanlike campaigner and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is facing disconnected against net property Casey Putsch for the Republican nomination.

That contention could trial however overmuch power Trump inactive holds arsenic a imaginable kingmaker with Republican voters.

The Ohio Senate contention is besides indispensable for the Democratic Party’s hopes of recapturing the US Senate, wherever Republicans presently clasp a slim majority, successful November. Former US Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, is seeking to instrumentality to the Senate aft losing his seat to a Republican challenger successful 2024.

Who are the candidates for governor?

Amy Acton, the erstwhile caput of Ohio’s Department of Health, is moving unopposed successful the Democratic gubernatorial superior and volition look the Republican superior victor successful November.

The Republican superior is much contested. While Ramaswamy has emerged arsenic the party’s frontrunner, helium faces a situation from the populist close by Putsch, an car racing technologist and right-wing governmental commentator.

Putsch, who the Associated Press reported had little than $9,000 successful his run relationship astatine the extremity of April compared with $31m for his rival, has pitched himself arsenic a much earnest typical of Trump’s “America First” ideology than Ramaswamy.

Ramaswamy has the endorsement of the authorities Republican Party arsenic good arsenic Trump himself, who called him “young, strong, and smart” portion offering his “complete and full endorsement” successful a societal media station successful November.

A 3rd Republican candidate, Heather Hill, was disqualified aft her moving mate for lieutenant politician withdrew from the race, aft the 2 spent respective days exchanging insults implicit societal media. Her sanction volition inactive look connected the ballot, but her votes volition not beryllium counted.

Republican Ohio gubernatorial campaigner Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during the Warren County Republicans’ Lincoln Day Dinner astatine the Great Wolf Lodge successful Mason, Ohio, April 10, 2026 [Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo]

Who is moving for the US Senate?

The US Senate contention successful Ohio is expected to beryllium 1 of the closest of the midterms and an important measurement towards the Democratic Party’s extremity of snatching the bulk from Republicans.

The peculiar predetermination volition capable a Senate spot vacated by Vice President JD Vance, who was elected arsenic Trump’s running mate successful 2024.

Jon Husted, who was appointed to capable the spot temporarily aft Vance stepped down, is moving arsenic the incumbent, unchallenged Republican candidate.

Former Senator Sherrod Brown, who mislaid his 2024 re-election contention to Republican challenger Bernie Moreno, is considered the frontrunner successful the Democratic primary.

He is facing Ron Kincaid for the Democratic nomination, but maintains a beardown fundraising and sanction designation advantage. Polls expect a choky contention betwixt Brown, considered the presumptive Democratic nominee, and Husted successful November.

Do radical request an ID to vote?

Ohio requires voters to amusement a signifier of identification, including a authorities driver’s licence, authorities ID card, passport, oregon subject ID card.

IDs indispensable beryllium existent and see a photograph and the voter’s sanction arsenic it appears connected the canvass database to beryllium accepted.

Republican lawmakers person agelong called for much stringent elector recognition requirements, which they accidental are indispensable to safeguarding predetermination integrity.

There is nary grounds of wide elector fraud successful the US, but President Trump and his allies person utilized mendacious claims of rampant amerciable voting to propulsion for greater restrictions connected access to voting, including done methods specified arsenic mail-in ballots.

Former US Senator Sherrod Brown speaks during a run lawsuit up of superior elections astatine Paladin Brewing successful Austintown, Ohio, connected April, 30, 2026 [Phil Long/AP Photo]

Who tin vote?

Any registered elector tin enactment successful immoderate party’s superior elections. The authorities does not registry voters by party, but considers voters affiliated with the enactment if they enactment successful its primary.