Everything you need to know about the March primary in Stark County
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The 2024 March primary in Ohio is set for Tuesday, March 19.
Here's everything you need to know about key races, how and when to vote and more.
Four Stark County school districts asking voters to approve levies on March primary ballot
Four school districts are asking voters to approve levies on the primary ballot, including Lake Local Schools, which is facing a $3 million deficit and more budget cuts if the tax is not approved.
Voters in Tuslaw Local Schools and Northwest Local Schools will see renewal levies on the March 19 ballot, while Marlington voters will be asked to approve new money for permanent improvements.
Get more details in our story from reporter Amy L. Knapp here.
North Canton officials: City needs 0.5% income tax hike due to dire finances
Officials are asking voters to support a permanent 0.5% increase in the city's income tax rate to 2%. If approved on March 19, the tax hike would apply to all North Canton residents who work no matter the location and all non-residents who work in the city.
Read the full story from reporter Robert Wang here.
A look at the March 19 tax requests for Stark County townships & villages
Several Stark townships and villages are asking voters to approve tax issues on March 19.
They are Jackson Township, Lawrence Township, Lexington Township, Pike Township and Perry Township, and Meyers Lake and Beach City. All but two would support road maintenance in those communities. The other requests are for police and fire operations.
Get a closer look at the ballot issues from reporter Benjamin Duer here.
Who is running for the 6th Congressional seat to succeed Bill Johnson? Meet the candidates
Primary voters in the 6th Congressional District will choose a successor to Bill Johnson after the congressman stepped down in January.
The Republican primary candidates are state Sen. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, who represents Mahoning, Columbiana and Carroll counties; state Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus, R-Paris Township, who represents eastern and much of southern Stark County; and Rick Tsai, a chiropractor who lives in East Palestine in Columbiana County.
The Democratic primary candidates are Rylan Finzer, a former Perry Township resident and Bedford Heights resident who operates a business that sells medicinal marijuana products; and Michael Kripchak, a former Air Force officer who works at a restaurant and advises a government contractor on finding partners to help execute the contract. On Thursday, Finzer announced he was moving back to Perry Township and the district the following day.
Here's the twist: Voters will vote twice for the seat during the March 19 primary.
Here's the full story from reporter Robert Wang here.
GOP candidates Chris Bandweg, Kevin Coughlin, Richard Morckel compete in Ohio's 13th Congressional District
Kevin Coughlin is a former state legislator turned businessman who is hoping for a political comeback.
Chris Banweg is a Hudson councilman and Marine colonel who compares himself to the lead character in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”
Richard Morckel is a former television technician for the Goodyear blimp who has never held office but says this “ought to be a plus.”
The three Republican candidates for the 13th Congressional District have very different backgrounds and political experience.
The victor in the March 19 primary will face off against U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, who will attempt in November to retain the seat she won in 2022.
Read more about the GOP candidates for the 13th Congressional District here.
Seven candidates for three seats on 5th District Court of Appeals, in all-GOP affair
The race for the 5th District Court of Appeals is an all-Republican affair, though with a slight twist, in an election that concludes with in-person voting on March 19.
Seven candidates are fighting for the seats in three separate GOP races. With no Democrats destined for November's general election ballot, the only competition the trio of primary winners could face in the fall would be from a write-in or independent.
Get the fully story from reporter Tim Botos here.
Ohio House's 51st District race features 2 primaries
A pair of Republican and Democratic hopefuls seeking to represent the Ohio House 51st District position are facing off in separate primary races to earn their party's nod for the November general election.
The March 19 primary election features incumbent Rep. Brett Hillyer, R-Uhrichsville, and GOP challenger Jodi Salvo, and Democratic candidates John Bazaar and Joe Rinehart.
The 51st District covers parts of southern Stark County, including Navarre, Beach City and Brewster, as well as the bulk of Tuscarawas County.
Read more from reporter Steven Grazier here.
What's on the March 2024 primary ballot in Stark County?
Registered voters can see a sample ballot for Stark County here.
Matt Dolan, Frank LaRose, Bernie Moreno running in the GOP primary race for U.S. Senate
Three Republicans are fighting for the chance to take on Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown this fall.
Brown, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, is seeking a fourth term in office. The Ohio race is considered a tossup by political analysts and will be one of the most competitive and expensive in the country. Brown is one of two Democrats defending a seat in a state former President Donald Trump won in 2020.
The three Republicans running in the March 19 GOP primary are state Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls; Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Summit County native; and Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno.
Get to know the three GOP contenders here.
Where is my polling location?
The Stark County Board of Elections has an online tool for voters to look up where they vote. Find your polling location here.
What kind of ID do I need to vote?
Ohio now requires voters to show a photo ID when they cast in-person ballots, either early or on Election Day. The ID must be unexpired, but it doesn't need to have your current address on it. Other documents, such as utility bills and bank statements, are no longer accepted.
The following documents qualify:
Ohio driver's license
Ohio state ID
U.S. passport or passport card
U.S. Military ID, Ohio National Guard ID or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID
Interim identification issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Free state IDs are available to residents at BMV deputy registrar locations. More information can be found at bmv.ohio.gov.
To cast a ballot by mail, voters must provide a copy of their photo ID, driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.
What if I forget my ID?
If you don't have your ID or run into other problems at the polls on Election Day, you can cast a provisional ballot.
Voters have four days to provide any missing information to election officials. Boards of elections have until eight days after the election to determine which provisional ballots can be counted.
I haven't voted in awhile. Am I still a registered voter?
If you want to check your registration status, you can do that online at https://voterlookup.ohiosos.gov/voterlookup.aspx
How do I obtain and return an absentee ballot?
You can request an absentee ballot by filling out a form found at https://www.ohiosos.gov/publications/#abr and mailing it to your county's elections board. You'll receive your ballot by mail. The Stark County Board of Elections' address is 3525 Regent Ave NE, Canton, OH 44705.
The application deadline for requesting an absentee ballot is March 12, a week before the primary.
To return your completed ballot, mail it back to the elections board or return it in person.
If you return it by mail, it must be postmarked no later than March 18 and received by your county board of elections no later than four days after the primary. If you take it back in person, the board must have your ballot no later than 7:30 p.m. on the day of the election.
For a comprehensive set of instructions, visit the Ohio Secretary of State's website here: https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/absentee-voting/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: The complete voter guide to the March 2024 primary in Stark County
