Midterm elections 2022: How to vote in Ohio
Image: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Election day is November 8, and Ohio’s races could potentially impact the country’s political landscape.
Why it matters: Voters will decide three seats on the Ohio Supreme Court that could potentially tip the court from red to blue, as well as between the first woman governor and an incumbent.
- The winners will make follow-up decisions about abortion, future elections and new elections in our state.
- And the neck-and-neck race in the Ohio Senate could help decide which party has a majority in the US Senate.
How to vote in Metro Columbus
Because unconstitutional statewide redistribution this year your district may have changed.
📬 Vote by mail
Details: Request a postal vote by noon on November 5.
Remarkable: Ballots sent by post must be stamped by November 8 at the latest.
- If left in a mailbox at your county polling station, that deadline is November 8 at 7:30 p.m.
- Follow the status of your postal vote here.
☑️ Vote in person early on
Vote at your district polling station by November 7. Be sure to check opening times before heading out.
🗳️ Vote on election day
Cast your vote on election day at your specified voting location.
- Polling stations will be open on November 8 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
US Senate: Tim Ryan (D) vs. JD Vance (R)
This open Senate Seat could help decide which party controls Congress next year.
Game Status: Tim Ryan, who has represented Ohio in Congress for nearly 20 years, is up against Trump-backed author and venture capitalist JD Vance.
- Where they stand on the topics:
cancellation
Ryan: The pro-choice advocate believes it’s a complex matter between a pregnant woman and her doctor.
Vance: He has said that he is “100 percent for life”. During the campaign, Vance called Senator Lindsey Graham’s proposed 15-week national abortion ban bill “perfectly reasonable,” but said he supports exceptions in certain situations.
immigration and border security
Ryan: While Ryan supports reforming what he calls a “broken immigration system,” he also wants to make it easier for anyone to legally immigrate to America.
Vance: He wants to end the construction of the border wall, reform the legal immigration system and limit migration to America.
go deeper: See where they stand on other topics.
Governor: Nan Whaley (D) vs. Mike DeWine (R)
Democrat Nan Whaley, the first woman to run for governor in Ohio challenges incumbent governor Mike DeWine.
- DeWine has been an attorney general and US and state senator in politics for over 40 years. Whaley was previously Mayor of Dayton.
Game Status: There have been no gubernatorial debates because DeWine has declined invitations.
- Where they stand on the topics:
cancellation
whales: She runs the platform that the governor of Ohio will be the last line of defense against abortion bans in the state and is pro-choice.
Wine: He has consistently avoided questions about abortion, but signed legislation in 2019 banning abortions after detection of a fetal heartbeat – which can occur as early as six weeks of pregnancy.
Gun Safety and Rights
whales: Whaley, the mayor during the 2019 Dayton mass shooting, has pledged to fight for universal background checks and tougher gun safety laws while vowing to repeal all laws that endanger gun safety.
Wine: As with abortion, he has dodged the issue and there is no mention of gun rights on his campaign website. DeWine signed legislation in March repealing concealed carry firearm permits.
OH Supreme Court Race
Three seats are on the ballot, and for the first time the candidate’s party affiliation will appear next to their names.
Chief Justice: Judge Jennifer Brunner (D) vs. Sharon Kennedy (R)
- Former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner was elected to the court in 2020, having previously served on the Franklin County Common Pleas Court and the 10th District Court of Appeals.
- Kennedy, a former police officer and judge of the Butler County Court of Common Pleas, joined the court in 2012 and was elected to a full term in 2014.
Judge Marilyn Zayas (D) vs Judge Pat DeWine (R)
- Zayas served on the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Her website states that she is “the first Latina judge elected to an Ohio Circuit Court of Appeals.”
- Governor DeWine’s son was elected to the court in 2016. He previously served in both the First District Court of Appeals and the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
Judge Terri Jamison (D) vs Judge Pat Fischer (R)
- Jamison previously served in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas and the 10th District Court of Appeals.
- Fischer was elected to the court in 2016 after more than 30 years as a lawyer.
Other national races
Attorney General: Jeff Crossman (D) vs. Dave Yost (R)
Why it matters: With abortion and redistribution at the helm, Ohio’s top attorney represents the state Supreme Court.
Details: Crossman was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 2019. The incumbent Yost was elected in 2019 after serving as state auditor for eight years.
Accountant: Taylor Sappington (D) vs. Keith Faber (R)
Why it matters: The Comptroller oversees all state public offices and is a member of the Ohio Restriction Committee, which helps redraw the electoral maps once a decade.
Details: Sappington serves as the City of Nelsonville’s Comptroller. Incumbent Faber was elected in 2019, having served in the Ohio House from 2001 to 2007 and in the state Senate from 2007 to 2017.
Secretary of State: Chelsea Clark (D) vs. Frank LaRose (R)
Why it matters: The Secretary of State oversees Ohio elections.
Details: Clark was elected to Forest Park City Council in 2017 after a career as a financial analyst and teacher. Incumbent LaRose was elected in 2019 after serving as a state senator from 2011 to 2019.
Voting Actions: State Issues 1 and 2
Ohioans vote on two constitutional amendments regarding bail reform and voting rights.
mistake 1 overturns the Ohio Supreme Court’s power to set bail and urges courts to consider public safety in setting bail.
- If you vote yes, you want courts to consider a person’s criminal record when setting bail.
- Bail reform advocates oppose it, while Yost and other prosecutors support it.
issue 2 requires Ohioans to be at least 18 years of age and registered to vote at least 30 days before an election.
- Current state law allows municipalities to expand local voting rights.
- Voting “yes” means you support the change in law so that municipalities cannot expand voting rights locally.
Other local problems
Issue 19: It would fill a loophole that would allow residents to divert taxpayer money into their own coffers without oversight. If ratified, it would have halted Issue 7, last November’s self-contained election initiative, which the mayor described as “the biggest undertaking in the city’s history.”
Columbus’ $1.5 billion bond package: This would fund new affordable housing projects and direct money into recreation and parks, as well as the city’s public services and utilities.
Franklin County school levy summary: School dues on ballots in the Columbus area are New Albany, Pickerington, Upper Arlington, Worthington, and Columbus City Schools.
What Ohioans care about: Jobs, taxes and wages
Much is at stake this election season – From the unclear future of abortion rights to the redistributed cards being appealed to the US Supreme Court, the issues that matter most to Ohioans are jobs, wages and taxes.