Ohio Secretary of State Elections

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted provides an overview of voting initiatives at a forum in January. Husted said it is easy to vote in Ohio and difficult to cheat.AP

Incumbent Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican, former speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, won handily in the last election, in 2010. He has since made his mark through various voting regulations — especially those regarding early voting — in the Buckeye State. Husted has done a good job in furthering the Republican agenda, but he has also done a good job of firing up the Democratic opposition.

Ohio State Sen. Nina Turner, the Democratic nominee, a former Cleveland city councilwoman and the current state Senate minority whip, hopes to make this fall’s elections about the right to vote. “I am running because I believe Ohioans deserve access and opportunities, both at the ballot box and in business, ” she said. Turner, an African-American, has been on the fast track since 2008, when she went to Columbus as a state senator. She has made frequent appearances on MSNBC and has earned a reputation as a firebrand. (Last year, when Ohio legislators put forth a bill requiring drug tests for welfare recipients, Turner countered with legislation requiring drug tests for Ohio Statehouse lawmakers.)

The rough-and-tumble world of Ohio politics is notoriously partisan, and the secretary of state can do much to benefit his or her political party.

The major issue in this year’s campaign for secretary of state is early voting, and the ease with which Ohioans can exercise their right to vote. Democrats want to expand the voting field and make it easier to vote, while Republicans are concerned about the legitimacy of easier voting, and point to the possibility of fraud.