COLUMBUS, Ohio -- If you're an Ohio Democrat who wants to vote for Donald Trump -- or try to stop Trump's momentum by casting a ballot for John Kasich -- you can.

Ohio's primary Tuesday is semi-open.

Ohioans do not declare a party when they register to vote; voters choose to affiliate with a party by selecting that party's primary ballot on Election Day. Voters who do not choose a party can vote an unaffiliated ballot that contains tax measures and other nonpartisan issues.

So, even if you've voted for Republicans your whole life, you can choose Bernie Sanders on Tuesday. You'll just be considered a registered Democrat until you change your affiliation in another primary election.

Want to know the details? Read on.

So, how does this work?

When you check in at your polling place on Tuesday, tell the poll worker which party ballot you want.

Under a directive from Secretary of State Jon Husted, poll workers can only challenge party affiliation if they have "personal knowledge" that the voter belongs to a different party.

If challenged, the voter may be asked to sign a statement indicating they intend to be a member of the new party. But the poll worker cannot prevent the voter from casting a ballot

What are the consequences?

For non-politicians, the worst that could happen is receiving more political mail and phone calls from that party. But if you plan to run for office in the near future, the switch could disqualify you as a candidate for your party.

Your primary party choice is nonbinding for the general election. In November, you can vote for a different candidate for president and vote for candidates from multiple parties throughout the ballot.

A bill pending in the state house would limit party changes to more than 30 days before an election.

Do campaigns use this to their advantage?

In 2008, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh encouraged Ohio Republicans to switch and cast ballots for Hillary Clinton. The plan, dubbed "Operation Chaos," was intended to draw out Clinton's primary battle with Barack Obama.

Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner issued a directive afterward to county boards of elections that if a voter was switching parties, poll workers should make them attest in an affidavit that they indeed intended to change party allegiance. Husted rescinded that directive, and voters are rarely asked to sign affidavits.

Nothing as organized has materialized in the years since, including 2016, but there have been reports of Ohioans wanting to change parties for reasons other than supporting their preferred candidate.

How many people are switching?

Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Director Pat McDonald said absentee ballot numbers indicate more unaffiliated voters are choosing to vote in a primary this year, and more voters are choosing to switch parties than in previous elections.

Among Cuyahoga County voters who requested absentee ballots by mail or voted early in person this year:

15.6 percent of affiliated Democrats have requested Republican ballots.

About 1.3 percent of affiliated Republicans have requested Democrat ballots.

Nearly 24,700 unaffiliated voters requested a party ballot.

Of those, 14,700 voters chose Democrat ballots and 10,000 chose Republican ballots.

The Columbus Dispatch reported 17,000 of Franklin County's roughly 39,000 requests for absentee ballots were from unaffiliated voters choosing a party ballot or from partisans changing parties.