MANSFIELD — You have a choice when voting Tuesday in Ohio’s primary election.
Regardless of how you have voted in the past, you can ask for a ballot from either major party — Democrat or Republican.
You can also ask for an issues-only ballot, assuming your geographic location has issues upon which to vote.
Just keep in mind, choosing a party ballot will “affiliate” you with that party until the next primary election — and perhaps beyond.
“Party affiliation is one of the main questions we get throughout the year,” said Matt Finfgeld, director of the Richland County Board of Elections.
“Voters frequently come in or call and want to know how they can change what party they are affiliated with. Under Ohio law, an elector is affiliated with a political party by voting in that party’s election,” he said.
Hence, you become a “registered” Democrat or Republican if you select a party ballot in a primary.
According to the board’s website, there are 82,319 registered voters in Richland County as of Friday morning.
Of those, 16,186 (19.6 percent) are Republicans and 4,597 (5.5 percent) are Democrats. The largest group of local voters is unaffiliated at 61,536 (74.7 percent).
Finfgeld said voters can request either ballot — but that will change your official party designation in the system.
“Most people don’t realize you cannot change that party affiliation until the next primary election. You would be affiliated with that party until at least May 2025, and possibly until May 2026, because not all of Richland County will have a partisan primary election in 2025,” he said.
“If you’re not in the City of Mansfield or the City of Ontario, you will probably not have a partisan primary in 2025. Most of the elected offices that are up in 2025 are non-partisan, so they are on just the November ballot in 2025,” Finfgeld said.
There is also no “independent” designation for voters, according to the director.
“People often say that they are independent. There is no actual independent party in Ohio. In Ohio, the term is unaffiliated. To remain unaffiliated, you have to vote an issues-only ballot or not vote, which is something I hate to tell anyone, but that is the truth,” he said.
He said a voter with a current Democratic or Republican party affiliation must request an issues-only ballot in two consecutive partisan primaries to be considered unaffiliated — or not vote in those two partisan primaries.
“When we post the voting history, your party affiliation will be updated around 30 days after the election,” Finfgeld said.
Early, in-person voting in this year’s primary continues at the board office at 1495 W. Longview Ave. on Saturday from 8 a.m to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Early, in-person voting ends Sunday at 5 p.m.
On Tuesday, polls around the county open at 6:30 a.m. and remain open until 7:30 p.m.
