CLEVELAND — Who will be the next President of the United States? While the final decision won't come until November when President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump face off in a rematch at the ballot box, voters throughout Ohio are heading to the polls for the state's primary election on Tuesday, March 19.
But the battle for the Oval Office isn't the only issue you need to know before voting in the Ohio March 19 primary as voters will be deciding a variety of races and school levies.
So what's on your local ballot? Where is your polling place? What hours are the polls open? We explore all that and more in our primary election guide below...
Happy voting!
WHERE IS MY POLLING PLACE?
You can find your polling location HERE.
WHEN ARE THE POLLS OPEN?
Polls are open throughout Ohio for the March 19 primary election from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Remember, you are still permitted to vote as long as you're in line before the polls close at 7:30 p.m.
WHAT'S ON MY BALLOT? HOW DO I SEE A SAMPLE OF MY BALLOT?
Is there a school levy on your ballot? Any issues that could impact your taxes? Want to know everything that's on your ballot before heading to the polls? CLICK HERE to see a sample ballot.
SCHOOL LEVIES
Does your school district have a levy on the ballot? Check our list HERE.
WHAT DOES MY VOTE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ACTUALLY DO?
While the 2024 presidential election will feature a repeat race between President Biden and former President Trump, Ohio's March 19 primary election is used to determine which candidate from each party should ultimately land on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Democrats will find both President Biden and Dean Phillips running for the presidential nomination.
For Republicans, former President Trump is the only primary candidate left in the race after Nikki Haley officially ended her campaign on March 6. Other Republican challengers like Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy have also dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.
Regardless of what Ohio voters decide, both President Biden and former President Trump have already locked in their spot on the November ballot.
U.S. SENATE BATTLE
In addition to the presidential primary, Ohio voters will also decide their party's nominee for U.S. Senate as Republicans Matt Dolan, Frank LaRose and Bernie Moreno look to unseat incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown.
The winner of the primary will go on to face Sen. Brown on the ballot this November.
RELATED: Ohio Republicans Matt Dolan, Frank LaRose, and Bernie Moreno face off for first statewide debate
WHAT'S THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THIS YEAR'S ELECTIONS?
- Feb. 20: Deadline for the March 19 primary
- Oct. 7: Deadline for the Nov. 5 general election
You can register to vote HERE.
WHEN CAN I VOTE EARLY IN THE MARCH ELECTION?
Early voting has now concluded. You can see what the schedule was below...
- Feb. 21-23: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Feb. 26 - March 1: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- March 4-8: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- March 9: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- March 11: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
- March 12: 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
- March 13-15: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
- March 16: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- March 17: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
CLICK HERE to find your local board of elections address if you're interested in early voting.
WHAT ABOUT ABSENTEE VOTING?
Here are the dates you need to know...
- Feb. 21: Absentee voting begins.
- March 12: Absentee ballot applications must be received by your board of elections by 8:30 p.m.
- March 18: All mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by this date.
- March 19: You can submit your absentee ballot at your county board of elections by the time polls close at 7:30 p.m.
HOW DO I REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT?
It's too late for this option now. But for future reference, here are your two options:
- Print your request HERE and mail it to your county board of elections.
- Call your county board of elections and request an application. CLICK HERE to find the phone number for your county's board of elections.
WHAT FORM OF ID SHOULD I BRING SO I CAN VOTE?
You need to have a form of ID with you to cast a ballot on election day. Acceptable forms of identification as listed by the Secretary of State's office are as follows:
- Ohio driver's license
- State of Ohio ID card
- Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV
- A US passport
- A US passport card
- US military ID card
- Ohio National Guard ID card
- US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card
All photo IDs must have the following:
- An expiration date that has not passed
- A photograph of the voter
- The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the Poll List or in the Poll Book
Ohio law prohibits acceptance of the following forms of ID:
- Driver’s license or photo identification card issued by a state other than Ohio
- Social Security card
- Birth certificate
- Insurance card
- Utility bill
- Bank statement
- Government check
- Paycheck
- Other government document
- Any registration acknowledgment notice from the county board of elections
WHAT IF I FORGET MY ID?
"If you do not provide one of the above forms of photo ID, you will still be able to vote using a provisional ballot," according to the Secretary of State. "However, for that ballot to be counted, you must return to the board of elections no later than four days following Election Day to provide a qualifying form of identification. If you do not have a photo ID because of a religious objection to being photographed, you may complete an affidavit of religious objection and have your provisional ballot count."
WHAT TIME WILL RESULTS COME IN?
We expect to see the first results shortly after 7:30 p.m. Absentee ballots are the first votes counted, according to the Secretary of State's office.
WHERE CAN I WATCH FOR RESULTS?
WKYC will share the special election results with updates after the polls close, which you can check at wkyc.com/elections. Be sure to follow WKYC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for complete coverage. Here's what you can expect from 3News:
- Breaking election results will be available through push alerts with the free WKYC app. You can download our news app here: Android, Apple.
- Results and reaction as our reporters bring you the latest details. Watch for these updates during our newscasts at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
- A complete wrap up the following morning on GO! from 4:30-7 a.m.
- Subscribe to our free 3News to GO! newsletter HERE to have the election results and other top headlines sent straight to your e-mail inbox.