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OH SB395

Bill

Status

Introduced

3/23/2026

Primary Sponsor

Louis Blessing

Click for details

Origin

Senate

136th General Assembly

AI Summary

  • Establishes a top-three primary election system where all candidates for congressional, state, and local offices appear on a single primary ballot regardless of party affiliation, with the top three vote-getters advancing to the general election

  • Implements a "consensus choice" general election system (ranked choice voting) where voters rank candidates in order of preference, with votes redistributed through elimination rounds until one candidate achieves a majority

  • Applies to congressional seats, state executive offices, state legislative seats, county offices, and municipal positions, fundamentally changing Ohio's current partisan primary structure

  • Removes party-specific primaries, allowing all registered voters to participate in selecting the top three candidates for each office on a unified ballot

  • Repeals multiple existing sections of Ohio election law governing partisan primaries, party affiliation requirements, and traditional plurality-winner general elections

Legislative Description

Implement top-three primary, consensus general election system

Elections

Last Action

Referred to committee: General Government

3/25/2026

Committee Referrals

General Government3/25/2026

Full Bill Text

No bill text available