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Election 2016: Ohio Primary

All eyes on Ohio, as the election hits a make-it-or-break-it moment for some hometown candidates.

On Tuesday, we saw voters in five states, including Ohio head to the polls - with special attention on the buckeye state for a couple of reasons. Of course, the candidates were hoping to sweep the 66 winner-take-all Republican delegates that were up for grabs. But there was also an issue before the election putting Ohio in the national spotlight.

Nine teenagers had sued Ohio's Secretary of State last week - wanting their right to vote, at age 17. They claimed Ohio's election manual was changed to specifically forbid 17-year-olds who would turn '18' by the general election in November - from voting in the primaries.

And an Ohio judge agreed with them, saying that Secretary of State on Husted was wrong with his interpretation of the law. So for the first time, 17-year-olds' votes are being counted in the Ohio presidential primary.

Before Tuesday’s contest, the presidential candidates hit the road to campaign for votes -- and that road took them all over the buckeye state, along with some endorsements from well-known Ohioans. You'll be hearing the word endorsement a lot over the next six months, and it just means a public statement of support or approval.

And Ohio governor John Kasich hit the campaign trail with endorsements from two Ohio State coaching greats in Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer. He held rallies in towns all over our state -- from Westerville to Youngstown… to Cleveland, along with many other stops.

Republican Donald Trump also focused in on the buckeye state, with multiple campaign stops too, and Ted Cruz came to the state one day for a quick rally.

In addition to their campaign stops, the two democratic candidates - Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton - hosted a town hall event at Ohio State, where they answered questions from the audience.

But what did voters have to say when it was all said and done? Let's get to the results.

Governor John Kasich delivered on his promise to "win Ohio", being selected on 47% of the Republican ballots to just 36% for Donald Trump -- both men finishing far ahead of Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. Rubio later dropped out of the race after finishing everywhere but his home state of Florida. Governor Kasich finished third in North Carolina, Illinois, and Missouri.

On the democratic side, Hillary Clinton easily defeated Senator Bernie Sanders, winning Ohio by 14 percentage points and getting the most votes in all four of the other voting states.

So now we want you to put on your voting hat -- because we're holding our own NewsDepth Primary Election this week! This will require you to do a little research.

Because we want to know: who would be your top choice among the six candidates that were eligible for delegates on the Ohio ballot. Here are your options: Between the Democratic candidates, you can choose between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Or, on the Republican side - cast your vote for businessman Donald Trump, Ohio Governor John Kasich, Texas Senator Ted Cruz or Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

Every vote counts -- we can't wait to see who wins our NewsDepth primary... And after you vote, be sure to write in and let us know: if you were able to vote for a candidate, who would get your vote and why?

Instructional Links

Website Article: FairVote, Primary Voting at Age 17

http://www.fairvote.org/primary_voting_at_age_17#facts_17_year_old_primary_voting

Website: Ohio Decides 2016, Live Election Results

https://vote.ohio.gov/

Website: League of Women Voters

http://www.lwvohio.org/

Website Article, Tables & Graphs: FiveThirtyEight, the Endorsement Primary

http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-endorsement-primary/