This newsletter was emailed to all subscribers on February 15. Sign up here if you’d like to get newsletters and other critical Knox Democratic Party information emailed to you.
—
Dear friends,
2026 is a critical year, and I hope you’ll continue to support our work to get Democrats elected in both state and federal races. We have had a strong start as we gathered many signatures for candidate petitions. Many thanks to all who braved the cold and snow to sign petitions in our office.
Next week, the Ohio Secretary of State’s office will complete their review of candidate petitions, and tell us which ones will appear on the ballot. The candidates who submitted petitions for statewide positions are listed here. There will be a couple of key contested races in the Democratic primary this year. When we have the specifics on who will be on the ballot, we will update the Elections page of our website, and we will also send you that information in next month’s newsletter, so that you can be an informed voter.
The primary election is on May 5. When you vote in a primary, you select a party ballot (either D or R) and that is how you become “registered” in that party. Registration as a Democrat gives you some benefits:
-
You are able to sign candidate petitions in the next election cycles.
-
You will get key election information in the mail from the Democratic Party.
-
You can help us win elections as a trusted volunteer.
Plus, accurate party registration gives us a better sense of who voters are, so we and our candidates can customize communications and be efficient in our campaigning.
This pie chart shows the current party makeup of Knox County:
As you can see, there are 2,215 registered Democrats in Knox County.
But, from the voting results in November 2024, we know that 8,698 Knox County people voted for Kamala Harris.
That means there are at least 6,483 people in Knox County who are not registered Democrats but likely lean Democratic. The problem is that we don’t know who they are. They are people who have no party designation (because they didn’t vote in a recent primary) and some who are registered as Republican (because they selected the Republican ballot in a recent primary when they perhaps hoped their vote would influence the results of a local election).
Of course, in the United States, we value the ability to vote (or not vote) as we please. But having such a large number of people without clear party designation means a lot of additional work (and money) spent trying to determine whom we need to reach about candidates and elections.
This year it’s critical that we reach as many likely Democratic voters and those we call “persuadable” so that we can get those additional votes – especially for key statewide races, where a few additional votes in Knox County could make a big difference for the returns in the state as a whole. This is how we can help get Sherrod Brown back fighting for us regular folks (as opposed to billionaires) in the U.S. Senate. This is also how we can win back enough key state positions to end Republican gerrymandering.
Please vote in the primary, and please request the Democratic Party ballot. Below are some key deadlines.
2026 Primary/Special Election | May 5, 2026
Voter Registration Deadline: The last day to register to vote in advance of the primary election is April 6. Make sure your registration is up to date so you can participate. The Secretary of State has been purging voters, so it is important to do this. To check your registration, use this search tool on the Board of Elections website.
Early In-Person Voting: Early voting begins on April 7 and continues through Sunday, May 3. This option allows you to cast your ballot ahead of Election Day at the Knox County Board of Elections office at 104 East Sugar Street in Mount Vernon. The complete Early Voting schedule is available here.
Absentee Ballot Requests: It’s important that you get your absentee ballot as early as possible since they need to be received at the Board of Elections by 7:30 pm May 5. This is a new and more restrictive timing requirement than in past elections. (See below for more explanation, under the heading SB 293.)
Election Day: Polls will be open on May 5 from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. Be sure to bring a valid form of identification with you to your Election Day polling location, which you can find by searching your voter registration and then clicking the blue Voter Details button. Note that, unfortunately, some polling locations have recently changed. You can see those changes on the Knox County Board of Elections website homepage.
SB 293 and How It May Affect You
Ohio Senate Bill 293, which changes absentee (mail‑in) voting rules, was recently passed by the Ohio legislature and signed by Governor DeWine. Under this law, mail‑in ballots must be received by the Board of Elections by the time polls close on Election Day in order to be counted. Ballots arriving after polls close on Election Day will not be opened or counted.
The law also puts at risk some voter registrations. If for whatever reason (and it might not be your fault!), your Social Security number and/or drivers license number do not match what the state has on file, your registration will be flagged as a potential non-citizen trying to vote. If this happens to you, the Board of Elections will mail you a card telling you about this issue, and you will need to visit the Board of Elections with proof of the correct information. If you do not do this, and you try to vote, your vote will have to be “provisional,” and you will still have to present proof of the correct information to the Board of Elections within four days after the election in order for your vote to be counted. And, if you don’t do this, your voter registration will be purged.
Bottom line: It’s more important than ever to check your voter registration status prior to the election, watch your mail closely for any important information from the Board of Elections, and follow the provided instructions carefully!
Calls to Action
In Ohio: SB 172 and other Anti-Immigrant Bills
The Ohio Legislature is considering several restrictive immigration bills, most notably Senate Bill 172 (passed the Senate in June 2025), which allows state/local police to arrest individuals suspected of being undocumented. Other pending measures include House Bill 26 (mandating cooperation with federal immigration enforcement) and House Bill 281 (allowing ICE access to hospitals).
Meanwhile, Ohio House Democrats have introduced bills to prohibit immigration enforcement in sensitive areas such as schools, hospitals, and places of worship.
What you can do: Call your state representative (In Knox County, that’s either Mark Hiner or Beth Lear, depending on where you live) and tell them you don’t want a secret police force potentially arresting citizens who “look” or “sound” like they may not have documentation. Ask them to show some humanity. The state reps’ contact information is here.
Help Us Win in Nov 2026!
- Please fill in this form to tell us how you can volunteer. There are tasks both small and large, and we need your help!
- Donate to Knox County Dems so we have resources to help with 2026 candidate campaigns. Let’s win!
I appreciate all of your support and help. Thank you for doing everything you can do to help ensure sanity prevails again in our government.
All my best,
Kathy Tate, Chair, Knox County Democratic Party