2020 Election

WOSU has your guide to the 2020 election in Ohio and around the country. Find stories here on the presidential contest, U.S. House races and more from WOSU and NPR.

Read our Ohio voting guide for information on how to vote and what's on your ballot. And check out WOSU's visual guide to voting in the 2020 election.

Here’s some key dates to know for the fall election:

  • General election voter registration deadline: Oct. 5, 2020
  • Early voting begins: Oct. 6, 2020
  • Deadline to request absentee ballot: Oct. 31, 2020
  • Early voting and mail-in voting ends: Nov. 2, 2020
  • General election: Nov. 3, 2020

WOSU also wants to hear from Ohioans about what you care about in 2020. Below, tell us what issues you want candidates to talk about during this election.

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Guns Not Banned Outside Presidential Debate In Cleveland

By • Sep 25, 2020

A variety of items will be prohibited in the event zone outside next week’s Presidential Debate at the Cleveland Clinic, including nun chucks, axes, swords, sabers and paintball guns. But real guns are not on that list.

That's because in Ohio, state law overrules municipal gun bans, and Ohio's laws allow for open carry or concealed carry of a weapon with a permit. 

Trump Promises Black Voters A 'Platinum Plan' For Loans As He Bashes Biden

By • Sep 25, 2020

Updated at 4:30 ET

President Trump leaned into his economic record Friday as he attempted to attract Black voters with a pledge to try to secure more lending for African American business owners.

Trump unveiled what he called the "platinum plan" for Black economic empowerment at a campaign event in Atlanta. But during wide-ranging remarks, Trump spent more time telling people why they shouldn't vote for Democratic rival Joe Biden than he did describing his campaign pitch to African Americans.

Frank LaRose Says It's Too Late To Add More Drop Boxes. Democrats Say He Wasted Time

By • Sep 25, 2020
In this April 28, 2020 file photo, Marcia McCoy drops her ballot into a box outside the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections in Cleveland, Ohio.
Tony Dejak / Associated Press

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Thursday that he will abide by a final court ruling or action by the legislature on ballot drop boxes, but insisted that making any more changes this close to the start of early voting will be confusing.

DeWine Stops Short Of Condemning Trump's Comments About Transition Of Power

By • Sep 25, 2020
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks during an interview in Columbus in this Dec. 13, 2019 file photo.
John Minchillo / AP

Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday declined to condemn President Trump's comments where he refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses the election.

Quinnipiac Poll Of Ohio Voters Shows Biden With One-Point Lead Over Trump

By • Sep 25, 2020
Former Vice President Joe Biden (left) and President Donald Trump (right).
Associated Press

The latest Quinnipiac poll shows the race between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden is a virtual dead heat – with Biden leading Trump 48% to 47%.

Cleveland Safety Director: National Guard Part Of Debate Security Plans

By editor • Sep 24, 2020

Updated 9:51 a.m., Friday, Sept. 25, 2020

Cleveland police will take an “all-hands-on-deck” approach to Tuesday’s presidential debate, working with the Ohio National Guard and federal agencies to provide security, Safety Director Karrie Howard said Wednesday.

The Cleveland Clinic, which is co-hosting the event with Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), has agreed to cover the city’s overtime costs, Howard said.

Appealing To Ohio's Suburban Voters

By & • Sep 24, 2020
Protesters raise their fists in solidarity at a protest in Upper Arlington on June 3, 2020.
Clare Roth / WOSU

In this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss how suburban voters will factor into the presidential race. Julie Carr Smyth of the Associated Press joins the show.

Before Limiting Drop Boxes, Top Ohio Election Officials Consulted Promoter Of Debunked Fraud Claims

By Mike Spies & Jake Pearson • Sep 24, 2020
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, overseeing the Election Night Reporting Center, in Columbus, Ohio, calls for the closing of the polls in the Ohio primary election, Tuesday, April 28, 2020.
Gene Puskar / Associated Press

This story was originally published by ProPublica.

On July 15, a civil rights group formed by Black union workers called on the Ohio Secretary of State to make voting amid the pandemic easier and safer. It advocated placing multiple secure ballot drop boxes in counties across the state.

Baldwin Wallace Poll Finds Biden Still Tied With Trump In Ohio

By • Sep 24, 2020
Former Vice President Joe Biden (left) and President Donald Trump (right).
Associated Press

A new poll of likely voters from Baldwin Wallace University found a statistical tie in the presidential race in Ohio, a tightening race in Pennsylvania and substantial leads for Democrat Joe Biden in Michigan and Wisconsin – all states in which Donald trump won in 2016.

Trump Questions Election Again After White House Walked Back His Earlier Remarks

By • Sep 24, 2020

Updated at 9:23 p.m. ET

President Trump resumed questioning the integrity of this year's election on Thursday after the White House sought to walk back his earlier comments suggesting he might not accept the results if he were to lose.

The back-and-forth started on Wednesday evening at a press conference.

Ohio Already Approaching Record Level Of Absentee Ballot Applications

By • Sep 24, 2020
An absentee ballot application from the state of Ohio.
Darrin McDonald / WOSU

More than twice as many absentee ballots applications have been received from Ohio voters compared to the same point in 2016, when the state saw a record number of early votes cast in the presidential election.

Answering Voting Questions About The 2020 Election

By All Sides Staff • Sep 24, 2020
The early voting center at the Franklin County Board of Elections in Columbus.
John Minchillo / Associated Press

The pandemic has upset the usual protocol for voting in Ohio, setting the stage for largely politically driven conflicts over a variety of topics.

With six weeks to go before the November 3 election, four lawsuits have been filed challenging the process of voting in Ohio.

How To Sign Up To Work The Polls On Election Day

By • Sep 24, 2020

If you've ever voted in-person, you've been helped by a poll worker: they've checked you in and pointed you in the right direction to cast your ballot. Maybe it was your retired neighbor, even a family member or former teacher, greeting you at the polls year after year.

This year, many of those folks are avoiding public spaces.

Trump Declines To Promise Peaceful Transfer Of Power After Election

By • Sep 23, 2020

Updated at 10:03 p.m. ET

President Trump on Wednesday suggested that he might not accept the election results if he is not declared the winner in November, in response to a reporter's question about whether he would commit to a peaceful transfer of power — regardless of the outcome of the election.

Ohio's Senators Have Changed 2016 Positions On Confirming A Supreme Court Nominee

By • Sep 23, 2020
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, left, and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, speak to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) has been called a hypocrite in recent days for not doing what he called for in 2016 – holding off on confirmations for a U.S. Supreme Court justice replacement in a presidential election year.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who urged confirmation in 2016, has changed his position too. But they both say things are different now.

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