US Trends

what are the issues on the ballot in ohio

Ohio’s statewide ballot landscape is shifting, and what’s “on the ballot” depends on which election you mean (local 2025 vs. big statewide issues being lined up for 2026). Below is a clear rundown of the major statewide issues being prepared, plus what to expect on local ballots.

Quick Scoop: Big Statewide Issues

For the next major general election (November 2026), organizers are working to place at least two high‑profile constitutional amendments in front of Ohio voters:

  1. Equal Rights / Anti‑Discrimination Amendment (Proposed for 2026)
    • Would ban discrimination in Ohio’s Constitution based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, health status, age, disability, ancestry, national origin, or military/veteran status.
 * Aims to create broad, explicit protections that go beyond current statute‑level civil rights laws.
  1. Marriage Equality / Repeal of Same‑Sex Marriage Ban (Proposed for 2026)
    • Would repeal the 2004 constitutional language that defines marriage as only between “one man and one woman” and replace it with an inclusive provision.
 * This old ban is currently dormant because federal law (Obergefell v. Hodges) makes same‑sex marriage legal nationwide, but advocates want it removed in case federal protections change.

These started as one combined “Ohio Equal Rights” constitutional amendment but were split into two separate ballot issues by the Ohio Ballot Board, which argued voters might want to support one part and not the other.

How They Got Split And Why It Matters

  • A grassroots group called Ohio Equal Rights originally proposed a single amendment that both banned discrimination and wiped out the old same‑sex‑marriage ban.
  • In July 2025, the Ohio Ballot Board voted to divide that proposal into two questions :
    • One on comprehensive anti‑discrimination protections.
    • One strictly on removing the same‑sex‑marriage ban and affirming marriage equality.
  • Because of the split, organizers now have to collect separate batches of signatures for each issue—effectively doubling their workload and costs.

Advocates considered suing over the split but decided that a court fight could take years, so they chose to move forward under the new rules and aim for the November 2026 ballot.

Signature Requirements And Ballot Timing

To actually appear on the statewide ballot, each proposed amendment must:

  • Gather at least 442,958 valid signatures from registered Ohio voters.
  • Include signatures from voters in at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties (a geographic distribution requirement).
  • Submit those signatures to the Secretary of State at least 65 days before the 2026 general election.

If they hit those targets and the signatures are validated, both measures would show up as separate issues on the November 2026 statewide ballot.

Context: What’s Typically On Ohio Ballots

Separate from those big 2026 efforts, your actual ballot in any given year (like 2025 local elections) can look very different depending on where you live:

  • Local offices : city council, mayor, county commissioners, judges, school board members.
  • Local tax levies : school levies, police/fire levies, parks, libraries, mental‑health services.
  • Other local issues : charter amendments, local zoning issues, city‑specific reforms.

In a municipal/off‑year election, news outlets note that turnout is often low, but there can still be “a number of other issues on the ballot” beyond the headline statewide question.

Because these items vary by county and city, the exact “issues on the ballot in Ohio” for you will depend heavily on your local jurisdiction and the specific election (primary, special, or general).

How Ohio Issues Get On The Ballot (Big Picture)

If you’re wondering how issues even reach your ballot in the first place, Ohio law gives citizens, the legislature, and sometimes local governments clear paths:

  • Citizen‑initiated constitutional amendments
    • Require a petition process governed by the Ohio Constitution and Ohio Revised Code, with signature thresholds based on prior gubernatorial turnout.
  • Citizen‑initiated statutes and veto referendums
    • Allow voters to propose laws or challenge laws passed by the General Assembly through referendum.
  • Legislatively‑referred constitutional amendments
    • The General Assembly can vote to put an issue (like redistricting reform or term‑limit changes) before voters as a statewide question.

The Ohio Attorney General’s office and the Ohio Ballot Board both play roles in certifying summaries, titles, and whether a proposal counts as a single issue or must be split—exactly what happened to the equal‑rights proposal.

Recent History: Why 2026 Matters

Recent statewide votes help explain why groups are working so hard on 2026:

  • In 2023 , voters approved constitutional amendments to protect abortion rights and legalize recreational marijuana, both passing with roughly 57% support.
  • In 2024 , an “Issue 1” redistricting proposal backed by reformers failed, with about 53% voting against it.

That track record shows Ohio voters will sometimes back rights expansions and system reforms, but success isn’t guaranteed—even when prior votes suggested support (as with repeated attempts to fix gerrymandering).

If You Want To Know Your Exact Ballot

Since Ohio ballots differ by county and even by precinct, here’s what you can do before any election:

  • Check the Ohio Secretary of State website or your county board of elections to:
    • Look up your sample ballot by address.
    • See which issues and candidates are specific to your local area.

These official sites keep updated lists of pending statewide issues and local measures so you can see precisely what will appear on your own ballot, not just the high‑profile statewide amendments.

TL;DR:

  • The biggest statewide issues being aimed at an upcoming Ohio general election (2026) are:
    • A broad Equal Rights / anti‑discrimination amendment.
    • A marriage equality amendment that removes Ohio’s old same‑sex marriage ban from the Constitution.
  • They started as one proposal but were split into two ballot questions, forcing organizers to gather signatures for each separately.
  • Your actual ballot will also include local offices, levies, and city/county questions that vary by where you live and the specific election date.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.