The main voting issues in Ohio currently include:
- State Issue 2 (May 6, 2025): A legislatively referred constitutional amendment on the ballot that would authorize a $2.5 billion general obligation bond to fund the State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP), supporting local infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, and wastewater management. This issue is seen as critical for improving Ohio's aging infrastructure
- Voter Purge Concerns: Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced a voter purge targeting registrations of inactive voters, with over 350,000 Ohioans at risk of being removed from voter rolls if they do not respond to notices. This purge is scheduled for September 2025 and has raised concerns about potential disenfranchisement
- Provisional Ballot Challenges: In Franklin County, there is a significant problem with provisional ballots. Black, low-income, and young voters are disproportionately more likely to cast provisional ballots, which have a higher rejection rate due to issues like signature mismatches, insufficient ID, or voting in the wrong precinct. Franklin County accounts for a large share of statewide provisional ballot rejections, highlighting inequalities and barriers to voting
- Local Levies and Ballot Measures: Various local issues such as tax levies for schools, libraries, emergency services, and municipal offices are also on ballots in different communities across Ohio, impacting local governance and services
- Primary Election Structure: Ohio uses a semi-open primary system where any registered voter can choose to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary but cannot vote in both. This system affects voter participation and candidate selection
These issues reflect both structural challenges in election administration and important policy decisions facing Ohio voters.
