Elections & Democracy: Start Here
A guided introduction to electoral competition, voter choice, voting rules and constitutional ballot measures.
A guided introduction to electoral competition, voter choice, voting rules and constitutional ballot measures. Follow the steps in order to distinguish the underlying legal or electoral facts from broader political judgments the research does not make.
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Measure primary competition
WP001 reports that 181 of 223 Republican and Democratic General Assembly party-primary contests in 2026 had only one candidate.
Look at votes, not only races
WP001 reports that 72.4% of candidate votes cast in the analyzed General Assembly primary contests were cast in single-candidate races.
Move to the district level
WP001 examines competition at the district level by asking whether either major party offered a contested primary.
Separate the pattern from party identity
WP001 reports similarly high uncontested rates on Republican and Democratic legislative primary ballots in 2026.
Establish the current voter-ID baseline
WP021 finds that Ohio already requires photo identification for in-person voting under statutory law that took effect in 2023.
Separate statute from constitutional entrenchment
WP021 distinguishes changing an ordinary statute from changing a requirement written into the Ohio Constitution.
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