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    • What's on the ballot in Ohio today? The Senate race dominates the vote
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    What's on the ballot in Ohio today? The Senate race dominates the vote

    Kathleen William Posted on

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    Election day is finally upon us.

    Today's voters in Ohio will help elect the next president and decide a nationally watched U.S. Senate race between Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown and Republican Bernie Moreno. Also on the ballot are key state Supreme Court races, candidates for Congress and the House of Representatives, and a constitutional amendment that would change Ohio's redistricting rules.

    Here's what to keep an eye on when the results come in.

    It's all about the margins

    Ohio is no longer the president's battleground.

    Former President Donald Trump won the state by eight points in 2016 and 2020 and is expected to secure the hat trick on Tuesday. The glaring lack of campaign stops by Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris only underscores Ohio's insignificance on the map.

    How do I vote in Ohio? Your guide to polling locations, mailing deadlines and more

    But Trump's margin of victory could impact the candidates, particularly Moreno. A recent Bowling Green State University poll showed the former president seven points ahead, while Washington Post and New York Times/Sienna College polls showed Harris six points behind. Brown told donors he could beat Moreno if Trump won the state by 8 points or less, Axios reported.

    Can Sherrod Brown hold out?

    Brown's re-election isn't just about Ohio: The result could determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the Senate in January. Outside groups have poured more than $400 million into a never-ending stream of advertising, and the race is expected to be the most expensive non-presidential contest in history.

    While the top vote could tip the scales, the final outcome depends on the candidates themselves.

    Has Brown done enough to distance himself from Harris and President Joe Biden? Will his focus on working-class voters resonate with independents and even some Republicans, as it did in previous elections?

    Then there's Moreno: Has he done enough to tell his story and defend attacks on his company's lawsuits and comments on abortion? Can Trump's support get him over the finish line?

    How the election could change the Ohio Supreme Court

    Republicans have controlled the Ohio Supreme Court for nearly four decades, but Democrats want to change that.

    Voters will cast their ballots in three races, including a contest between incumbent Judge Joe Deters, a Republican, and Melody Stewart, a Democrat. Republicans have a 4-3 majority and could expand that to 6-1 if they win Tuesday's election. If Democrats manage to win all three seats, they could win a 4-3 majority.

    The Supreme Court can determine how much taxes Ohioans pay, what government records are available to the public and even whether boneless chicken wings should contain bones. The court could also hear redistricting lawsuits and decide which state laws are unconstitutional under the abortion law amendment passed last year.

    To put it simply, both sides argue: There is a lot at stake.

    Will voters approve Issue 1, dealing another blow to House Republicans?

    Ohioans voted overwhelmingly a year ago to protect abortion rights and legalize recreational marijuana, two outcomes that Republican lawmakers fought against. Voters previously rejected an effort backed by the Republican-controlled Legislature to make it harder to amend the Ohio Constitution.

    Now voters will decide whether Ohio should change the way it draws congressional and legislative districts. Topic 1 of Tuesday's vote would strip that power from elected officials and give it to an independent commission with no political ties.

    If Issue 1 passes, it would be another defeat for Republicans, who hold supermajorities in the House and Senate and argue that the current mapmaking process is effective.

    Ohio Issue 1: What is Gerrymandering? What impact does it have on the General Assembly and Congress?

    The battle for control of Congress is sweeping through Ohio

    Republicans currently control the U.S. House of Representatives by a slim majority, but the outcome of a few dozen elections – including two in Ohio – could change that.

    Democratic Reps. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo and Emilia Sykes of Akron face off in contests with Republican challengers who attracted outside money. Kaptur is the longest-serving woman in Congress, but state Rep. Derek Merrin — who is backed by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson — is hoping to flip a district that is redder than it used to be.

    Cook Political Report rated the Sykes and Kaptur seats as “lean Democrat.” Sykes' race against former state senator Kevin Coughlin was considered a toss-up until Coughlin fell behind in fundraising.

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    Kathleen William
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