Elections in Ohio

Elections in Ohio

Elections in Ohio happen for different leaders, like local leaders, state leaders, and the president. The Republicans are usually strong in parts of the state, like the rural areas in the northwest, and some rich suburbs around cities like Cincinnati and Columbus. Democrats are strongest in big cities and have been gaining support in educated suburbs.

Ohio used to be a place where Republicans were very popular, voting for them in every election from 1856 to 1908. But since 1896, Ohio has usually picked the winner of presidential elections, except in a few years. This has made Ohio very important in deciding who becomes president. For example, in (/wiki/2004_United_States_presidential_election), the candidate who won Ohio also won the election because of the state's electoral votes.

In recent years, Ohio has still been important but sometimes less certain. In 2016 and 2020, the same candidate won Ohio by big margins, even though they didn’t win nationwide. This has made some people wonder if Ohio still plays the same key role in elections.

Federal elections

Ohio holds elections to choose representatives for the United States House of Representatives and Senate. It also has presidential primaries.

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• Presidential primary: 2008 Democratic 2008 Republican 2012 Republican 2016 Democratic 2016 Republican 2020 Democratic 2020 Republican

State elections

Ohio has many important elections to choose leaders for the state. Some of these elections include choosing the Ohio Attorney General, the Ohio State Auditor, the Ohio governor, the Ohio lieutenant governor, the Ohio Secretary of State, members of the Ohio Supreme Court, and the Ohio State Treasurer. These elections help decide who will manage and protect the state’s resources and laws.

Local elections

Ohio has elections in many places, like cities and counties. Important elections happen in Cincinnati and Dayton, where people choose leaders for city councils and commissions. Montgomery County also has its own elections.

These elections help local communities pick leaders who will make decisions for their area.

Election security

Before the 2020 elections in Ohio, eight counties had not finished an important check to keep elections safe. The leader of Ohio's elections asked them to do this check. One county, called Van Wert County, did not make a plan to follow the rules, so it was put under special watch.