Telegraf at Ohio primaries: Battle for one state that can decide a lot more than you think

Photo collage: Marija Milutinovic

Primary elections are being held in the United States in recent months. Citizens have the opportunity to vote for candidates at various levels of government - from House members and senators to the president, but also for some unusual posts, viewed from the angle of our political system. Namely, they can also vote for judges, prosecutors, sheriffs... Those who win the trust of citizens in these primaries will appear on the ballots in November, when, in addition to the US president, other government representatives will be elected.

Telegraf journalist Marija Milutinovix, who is currently participating in the State Department's Foreign Press Center program, had the opportunity to visit Columbus, the capital of the US state of Ohio, where Republican and Democratic state primaries were held yesterday.

Ohio is one of the so-called "swing states" - i.e., one of those where neither of the two parties is guaranteed success.

In some US states it is possible, for example, for a Democrat to vote for representatives of their party, but also in the Republican race (and vice versa), but in most the rule is that everyone sticks to their own, that is, Democrats vote for candidates of the Democratic Party, and accordingly the Republicans. This is the case in Ohio.

Of course, to vote in such a system one must be a registered Democrat or Republican.

Photo: Telegraf.rs/Marija Milutinovic

Our journalist visited a polling station in Columbus, which was located in a local school, more precisely in the gym. Billboards and other campaign material could be seen in front of the school, while at the polling station there were only those related to the elections themselves. Examples of ballot papers for candidates of both parties were prominently displayed, at every step there were people who were there to help those encountering problems or needing any help, explanation or assistance.

The first part of voting is, of course, the same as in Serbia. When you arrive at the polling station, you show your identification documents to the members of an electoral commission, and decide who to vote for.

Photo: Telegraf.rs/Marija Milutinovic

One of the possibilities is classic voting using ballot papers. When you have voted, i.e. marked the candidates you chose, you take the ballot to a committee member who will insert it into the vote counting machine.

By the way, in connection with this type of voting, there is a very interesting possibility... Namely, if it happens that you made a mistake, that is, voted for the wrong candidate or messed up something else, you have the possibility to go to the committee and exchange that ballot for another one. Moreover, you can do it twice, that is, you have the right to two mistakes.

In addition to this, voters here can also vote for the candidates using a special machine. This type of voting is done by stating, when you arrive at the polling station and identify yourself, that this is how you will vote. Then you get a piece of paper with which you approach the machine and insert it, check whether all the data that appears is correct, and then go to another machine where you vote by pressing the box representing the candidate of your choice.

The third option is to vote in advance, i.e. by mail, which is done by having a ballot delivered to your address, then you decide in the comfort of your home who you trust, and then put the ballot in the enclosed envelope and mail it to the voting office.

Our journalist also spoke with two citizens of Columbus who voted in the primaries.

Ruth (65), when asked why she turned out to vote, said that she had to, because these elections are important.

"The first president I voted for was Jimmy Carter (a Democrat elected in 1977 who in 1980 lost convincingly to Republican Ronald Reagan ) and now I'm voting. It's incredibly important," said Ruth, who defined her motivation for voting briefly and clearly.

"Democracy. Democracy is on the line. There's many things we're voting for, but that's number one for me. We have to keep democracy and it's fairly concerning."

When asked if she would vote in November, she raised her hands as if in victory and said:

"Absolutely! I will be happy to!”

We also came across a young man, Alejandro (23). He said he voted because that's important for a citizen in a democracy.

"This election is, on the big issues, already decided, with Biden and Trump. But there are still a lot of local candidates to vote for. I actually don't really like this style of election, divided by party, I don't really support the party system, but because I'm in it, I chose the Democratic ticket and wanted my voice to be heard", said Alejandro.

Asked why it is important for young people like him to vote, he gave an interesting answer.

"It's important that all people to vote, but especially for young people, since we're heavily under-represented in the voting pool. We tend to have a different opinions than the older folks, just because we have different experiences, different education...," said Alejandro, who is interested in candidates who will devote themselves to the problems like climate change, migrants, education...

Like Ruth, he said that he will also vote in the presidential election in November.

Otherwise, there were no incidents at this polling station, people turned out to use their right guaranteed by the constitution and everything went smoothly.

It is also interesting that everyone thinks that these primaries, not only in Ohio, will be a good indicator of what will happen in November.

Also, everyone our journalist talked to was glad that people from other countries are interested in what is happening in theirs regarding the primaries and the November election.

As the people who came to vote told us, local candidates are very connected to the community and voters, and a lot of attention is paid to local problems.

How important Ohio is in the American electoral math is perhaps best evidenced by the fact that Donald Trump visited the state a few days ago and held a large rally. His statements from that rally, especially those about immigration policy, were condemned by numerous Democrats.

As far as the results of the primaries in Ohio are concerned, the part concerning the presidential race went as expected - Joseph Biden was convincing among Democrats, and Trump among Republicans.

Berni Moreno; Photo: Tanjug/AP

However, what makes the "Battle for Ohio" particularly important is the US Senate. Namely, the victories of Republican Bernie Moreno and Democrat Sherrod Brown were expected in these state primaries, whose clash in November could bring an advantage in the Senate as well.

Currently, Democrats have 51 and Republicans 49 representatives. In 2024, 34 seats will be up for grabs, of which 23 are currently held by Democrats or independent candidates. Republicans can retake control of Senate with a net gain of two seats or win the 2024 presidential election with a net gain of one seat. In case of a tied Senate result, the vote of the president decides.

Sherrod Brown; Photo: Tanjug/AP

Ohio is currently represented in the US Senate by one Democrat and one Republican.

In such a balance of power, it is clear why the battles for the so-called "swing states" are of crucial importance and why both parties, go "all in" in order to win there.

That's one of the reasons why Ohioans voted in the primaries, to choose the candidates they believe will be the deciding factor in the November battle.

And which one will prevail... Well, we'll have to wait for November 5.

(Telegraf.rs)