By Erik Jones
Aaron Knapp is running as a Republican for Lorain City Council’s Sixth Ward. He’s on the November ballot—but when he went to vote in the May primary, he says he was told he couldn’t get a Republican ballot. Now, he’s raising concerns about how Ohio’s voting system works and whether it’s fair to candidates and voters in places like Lorain.
Knapp filed the right paperwork, gathered enough valid signatures, and was officially certified by the Lorain County Board of Elections as the Republican candidate. Under Ohio Revised Code § 3513.05, candidates can skip the primary election by petitioning to appear directly on the general election ballot. That’s what Knapp did—and his spot in November is secure.
But on April 18, 2025, when Knapp went to the Board of Elections to vote in the Republican primary, staff told him he had to choose a Democrat or Independent ballot. He asked for a Republican one. They refused—and he says they broke the law by not giving him a written reason. Ohio law (R.C. § 3503.06) says that if election officials deny a request like this, they must provide a written explanation. Knapp says he received nothing.
So why did this happen?
Ohio uses a semi-open primary system. It doesn’t track your party when you register to vote. Instead, your party affiliation is based on the last primary ballot you chose—and it stays that way for two more years. Knapp voted in the Democratic primary in 2023, so the Board of Elections still had him listed as a Democrat in 2025.
Even though Knapp was certified as a Republican candidate, that did not automatically change his voter file in the system. Current law says you only switch party affiliation when you vote in a new partisan primary. If there are no contested Republican races on the ballot—as was the case in Lorain this year—many voters never pull a Republican ballot and stay “stuck” as Democrat or Independent.
This confusion is what Knapp says is broken.
“They certified me to run as a Republican,” Knapp said, “but they treated me like I was still a Democrat when I went to vote.”
Knapp also wanted to vote on Issue 2, a statewide measure to fund roads, bridges, and schools. Board staff told him he could take an “issues-only” ballot—but warned it would remove his Republican label in their system.
“I was told I had to choose between voting on a critical issue and keeping my party status,” he said. “That’s not how democracy should work.”
Local resident Don Killinger shared a similar experience, saying, “I voted early and was given an issues-only ballot, signifying that there were no Republicans running for any office in the City of Lorain.”
There are no Republican ballots available for the May 6, 2025 primary election in Lorain, Ohio. However, Democratic ballots are available, and Aaron Knapp’s opponent, Angel Arroyo Jr., appears unopposed on the Democratic primary ballot for the Sixth Ward. This means Republican voters have no candidates to select and are limited to requesting an issues-only ballot, which does not count toward maintaining or updating party affiliation.
Under Ohio law, if a voter does not cast a partisan ballot for two consecutive calendar years, their party affiliation is removed, and they become unaffiliated. This matters because in areas like Lorain, where Republican ballots are often unavailable due to uncontested races, GOP voters may unintentionally lose their party status simply by voting issues-only or not voting at all. Over time, this erases Republican presence from voter rolls, weakening party representation and outreach in local elections.
We reached out to the Lorain County Board of Elections for comment on this matter. Due to weekend office hours, a response was not immediately available, and we will update the story if and when a statement is provided.
Knapp says what happened to him shows the need to fix Ohio’s election rules. He supports Senate Bill 147, a new proposal called the Voter Registration Modernization Act. It would let voters update their party online or in person anytime, even on Election Day. It would also require boards of elections to give written explanations when denying requests—something Knapp says he never received.
Knapp has a history of challenging the county. He filed lawsuits over public records and tried to get video from the Lorain County Justice Center. In that case, Knapp won. The court ordered the release of the video and awarded him monetary compensation. He said the case wasn’t just about getting the footage—it was about holding public institutions accountable.
He also faced controversy after an incident at a Lorain bar earlier this year. Though the incident drew public attention, Knapp maintained that the video released didn’t show the full story. He apologized for the disruption but said there was more context that wasn’t made public.
Still, Knapp believes the problems at the Board of Elections are bigger than just him.
Knapp’s experience highlights how Republicans in mostly Democratic areas like Lorain can become invisible in the voting system. Without contested GOP primaries, conservative voters don’t pull Republican ballots—and that makes it look like there are no Republicans at all.
That lack of visibility affects campaign support, discourages new candidates, and keeps many races unchallenged.
“This isn’t just about me,” Knapp said. “It’s about making sure everyone’s voice is counted, no matter their party.”
Knapp remains on the ballot for November. But for now, his fight is about more than just winning a seat. It’s about fixing a system that, he says, locks people out—even when they follow all the rules.
For Knapp’s detailed account of his experience, you can read his full story on his Substack: Locked Out of My Own Primary: One Republican’s Battle in Blue Lorain.