Weeks after releasing the names of candidates filing for statewide office, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Feb. 19 confirmed which partisan statewide candidates are conditionally qualified to appear on the 2026 primary ballot.
Candidates across various races for U.S. Senate, governor and the Ohio Supreme Court have met minimum requirements to qualify for the May 5 primary, where dozens of candidates are representing the Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian parties.
The final certification and the official form of the ballot for the upcoming May 5, 2026 primary election will be issued to county boards of elections on Feb. 24, 2026.
Here’s who’s in the running so far.
Who is on the primary ballot for Ohio’s elections in 2026?
According to the Ohio Secretary of State, these are the partisan statewide candidates who met the minimum signature requirement to qualify for the May 5, 2026 primary election:
Primary voter registration deadline is April 6. More key dates for 2026 elections
Ohioans must register or update their voter registration no later than 30 days before an election. The registration deadline for the May 5 primary is April 6, 2026. Boards of elections and the Ohio Secretary of State’s office are open until 9 p.m. that day.
Here are the upcoming voter registration deadlines in 2026:
If you register or update your information after the deadline, the changes will apply for the next election.
When is the Ohio primary and special election 2026? Key dates for early, absentee, mail-in votes
The primary and special election will be held May 5, 2026, according to this year’s voting schedule.
Early in‑person voting begins April 7, including the Saturday and Sunday before Election Day. Absentee voting by mail also begins April 7.
On Election Day, May 5, polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Absentee ballots must be received by your local board of elections by 7:30 p.m. if not returned by mail, per the voting schedule.
Absentee voter changes in Ohio for 2026
One big change in Ohio for the primary election and beyond is the submission deadline for absentee ballots.
Signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine in December 2025, Senate Bill 293 requires absentee ballots to arrive by the close of polls to be counted, with an exception for military and overseas voters. In the November 2025 election, about 7,300 of 170,000 mailed ballots arrived after Election Day, according to data from the secretary of state’s office.
How to register to vote in Ohio
You can register to vote online via the Secretary of State’s office or VoteOhio.gov. You can also register by mail through the National Mail Voter Registration form available on the Ohio Secretary of State site, or in person at locations such as the boards of elections, public libraries, and Bureau of Motor Vehicles locations, The Columbus Dispatch reports.
To register online, you will need to have the following information:
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Who is on Ohio’s 2026 primary ballot? See names, important voting dates
Reporting by Alex Perry, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
