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Ohio elections, 2012
| Contents |
|---|
| 1 2012 Elections |
| 2 Eligibility to Vote |
| 2.1 Primary election |
| 2.2 General election |
| 3 Voting absentee |
| 3.1 Eligibility |
| 3.2 Deadlines |
| 3.3 Military and overseas voting |
| 4 Voting early |
| 5 See also |
| 6 References |
The state of Ohio held elections in 2012. Below are the dates of note:
- Signature filing deadline: December 7, 2011 & July 4, 2012 (Measures only)
- Primary date: March 6, 2012
- General election date: November 6, 2012
| On the 2012 ballot | Click here for all November 6, 2012 Election Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senate (1 seat) | 
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Preview Article | |
| U.S. House (16 seats) |
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| State Executives | 
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N/A | |
| State Senate (17 seats) |
|
Preview Article | |
| State House (99 seats) |
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| Ballot measures (2 measures) |
|
Preview Article Pending | |
2012 Elections
For election results in the 50 states, see our November 6, 2012 election results page
Elections by type
| U.S. Senate, Ohio, General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Sherrod Brown Incumbent |
50.7% | 2,762,690 | |
| Republican | Josh Mandel | 44.7% | 2,435,712 | |
| Independent | Scott Rupert | 4.6% | 250,616 | |
| Total Votes | 5,449,018 | |||
| Source: Ohio Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Ohio lost two U.S. House seats from redistricting.
| Members of the U.S. House from Ohio -- Partisan Breakdown | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 5 | 4 | |
| Republican Party | 13 | 12 | |
| Total | 18 | 16 | |
- See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2012
Heading into the election, Republicans maintained partisan control in the state senate.
| Ohio State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 10 | 10 | |
| Republican Party | 23 | 23 | |
| Total | 33 | 33 | |
Heading into the election, Republicans maintained partisan control in the state house.
| Ohio House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 40 | 39 | |
| Republican Party | 59 | 60 | |
| Total | 99 | 99 | |
- See also: Ohio 2012 ballot measures
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABR | Issue 1 | Constitutional convention | Would create a convention to revise, alter or amend the state constitution. |
|
| CICA | Issue 2 | Redistricting | Would create a citizen commission to draw legislative and congressional district maps. |
|
Ballotpedia regularly tracks local ballot elections in 11 states. These states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.
For the state of Ohio, below is a glimpse of some of the local measures that appeared or were scheduled to appear on ballots in 2012.
- Clark County Board of Developmental Disabilities Tax Levy Question (November 2012)
- Greenon Local School District Income Tax Question (November 2012)
- Clark Shawnee Local School District Renewal Question (November 2012)
- Springfield Township Roads Tax Levy Increase Question (November 2012)
- Springfield Township EMS Tax Levy Renewal Question (November 2012)
- Pleasant Township Tax Levy Renewal Question (November 2012)
- Pike Township Fire Tax Levy Renewal Question (November 2012)
- Pike Township Roads Tax Levy Renewal Questions, 2 (November 2012)
- Moorefield Township Fire Tax Levy Increase Question (November 2012)
- Moorefield Township Roads Tax Levy Increase Question (November 2012)
Eligibility to Vote
Primary election
- See also: Voting in the 2012 primary elections
Ohio has a mixed primary system. Primary voters must vote in the same party's primary as they did in the previous election, although this requirement may be loosely enforced. Voters wishing to switch parties may register with the new party. Ohio's 2012 congressional primary took place on March 6, 2012. Voter registration closes 30 days prior to an election.[1] (Information about registering to vote)
General election
- See also: Voting in the 2012 general elections
The deadline to register to vote is 28 days prior to the election day, which in 2012 was October 9.[2]
Note: Some states have a voter registration deadline 30 days prior to the election, but because this may fall on a weekend and Columbus Day is on Monday, October 8th, have extended the deadline to October 9, 2012.
- Voter ID info
- Residency requirements: Resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election[3]
- Same-day registration: None
Voting absentee
- See also: Absentee Voting
Eligibility
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Ohio. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.
Deadlines
To vote absentee, an absentee ballot application must be received by the election office at least 3 days prior to the election. A returned absentee ballot must then be postmarked at least one day before election day and received by the elections board no later than 10 days after the election.
Military and overseas voting
For full details, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program here.
2012 developments
As of 2012, all registered voters in Ohio will receive an absentee ballot application in the mail. This is the first time in the state's history that all registered voters will receive applications, earning widespread praise from both parties. The only concern comes from those voters who request an absentee ballot but later decide to vote in person at the polls, which could cause increased numbers of provisional ballots. Provisional ballots are only used when there are questions over whether a person may cast a ballot. They are counted only once a voter's eligibility has been confirmed, in this case, after confirming that he or she did not both vote absentee and at the polls.[4]
Voting early
- See also: Early voting
Ohio is one of 33 states that has early voting with no specific requirements as to who can vote early. Early voting begins 35 days before an election and ends the day prior to election day. The average number of days prior to an election that voters can cast an early ballot is 21 days in states with a definitive starting date.
2012 developments
The Supreme Court let the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit stand on October 16, 2012, in a one-sentence order. The Appeals Court ruled earlier that early voting must be offered to all voters if it is offered to the military, and the Supreme Court's decision finally puts the issue to rest. This decision marks a victory for the Obama campaign, which sued to overturn the restricting put into place by Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted.[5]
Previously early voting had been restored during the last three days before the November 6 election for all Ohio citizens by a federal district court. From there, the decision was appealed to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and finally to the Supreme Court. [6]
U.S. District Court Judge Peter C. Economus stated the following, "this Court notes that restoring in-person early voting to all Ohio voters through the Monday before Election Day does not deprive [military] voters from early voting." He went on to say, "Instead, and more importantly, it places all Ohio voters on equal standing."[6]
The lawsuit was filed in response to a directive which allowed certain individuals, specifically military personnel and their families, to vote in the three days preceding the election, while disallowing all others.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State "Voter Registration" Accessed April 22, 2012
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State "2012 Election Calendar" Accessed May 8, 2012
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State "Voter Eligibility" Accessed May 8, 2012
- ↑ The Community Press & Recorder, "Absentee ballot plan eases voting but increases risk of voter mistake," September 9, 2012
- ↑ The New York Times, "Justices Clear the Way for Early Voting in Ohio," October 16, 2012
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Governing, "Early Voting Restored in Ohio," September 4, 2012
