The 65th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Cavalcade of Customs will return to the First Financial Center in downtown Cincinnati, March 13 to 15.

There will be hundreds of custom cars, classics, hot rods, trucks, motorcycles and race cars on display. For tickets and a list of events and featured guests, click here.

The First Financial Center was previously known as the Duke Energy Convention Center, which reopened in February after an 18-month renovation project costing more than $260 million.

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Cincinnati Public Schools will host the fourth annual “The Cincy Experience,” a two-day recruitment event designed to connect prospective educators with teaching opportunities across the district.

On March 6, school tours will be given from noon to 1 p.m. at Dater Montessori School, South Avondale Middle School and Spencer Center for Gifted and Exceptional Students.

On March 7, there will be a district-wide job fair, including on-the-spot interviews with recruiters, at the Woodward Career Technical High School on Reading Road in Bond Hill.

The district is searching for educators to fill high-need areas: middle and high school English, science and math, Spanish, intervention specialists, preschool disability and teachers with Montessori credentials. The district is also in need of educators licensed to teach middle childhood education, which is typically defined as grades four through nine.

Cincinnati Public Schools is the Tri-State’s largest public school district with more than 35,000 students across 66 schools.

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Two local business organizations are hosting their fifth annual business expo next week, bringing together dozens of area vendors under one roof.

The Little Miami River Chamber Alliance and the Milford Miami Township Chamber of Commerce will hold the Eastside Business Bash on March 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Oasis Conference Center, 902 Loveland-Miamiville Rd, in Loveland. Admission is free.

The event draws businesses from across Cincinnati’s east side, with this year’s lineup topping 30 vendors in sectors ranging from financial services and healthcare to marketing, technology, and food.

Participating businesses include Activate Brain & Body, All American Gutter Protection, Athletico Physical Therapy, Balance in Motion, By Golly’s, CertaPro Painters and Carpentry, Charmed Life Creative, Cincy SEO, COHatch Cincinnati, Evolution Creative Solutions, First Financial Bank, For Always Photos & Memories, Horter Financial, IntelliPoint Technologies, Kingsbury Productions, Linden Grove Agency, Loveland LIFE Food Pantry, Peoples Bank, Quintin Fleeing Insurance & Finance, Raptor INC, RDI, Ron Chambers Group, Seasons, Sharefax Credit Union, Signal Digital Marketing, SpeedPro Cincinnati East, TeamLogic IT, The Dennedy Home Group/Keller Williams, The Skin Clinic, The Works Pizza Co., Union Savings Bank, Valley View Nature Preserve, and Willow Marketing & Design.

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New polling shows Ohio voters see library services as “everyday necessities,” among the highest rated services offered at the local level.

Polling conducted by Public Opinion Strategies on behalf of the Ohio Library Council and the Ohio Township Association showed 90% of participating voters found public libraries “important to the community.”

Voters praised the access to programs for Ohioans of all kinds, along with low-income resident assistance, learning, technology, and engagement. This time of year in particular, libraries also serve as resources for tax services.

“Ohioans don’t just appreciate their libraries, they rely on them on a daily basis,” said Michelle Francis, executive director of the Ohio Library Council, in a statement on the study. “They are locally supported, widely used, and deeply embedded in their communities.”

Of those interviewed for the survey, 44% said they or a family member have utilized public library services in the past month, and nearly 70% said they received help from the public library. This number included a majority of Republican, Democrat, and independent voters, according to the report.
“Nearly 9 out of 10 Ohio voters believe they get their money’s worth in services from their local libraries for the taxes they pay, including 83% of Republicans, 85% of independents, and 93% of Democrats,” researchers stated

Data from the Ohio Library Council said Ohioans visit state libraries more than 48 million times per year, and more than 7 million Ohioans have library cards.

Ohio libraries receive much of their funding from the state’s Public Library Fund, which comes out of the General Revenue Fund. In the most recent state budget, lawmakers changed the funding mechanism from a percentage of the General Revenue Fund’s tax revenue to a lump sum. For fiscal year 2026, that amounted to $490 million in state funding, and $500 million in 2027. Library advocates including the council opposed the move to a lump sum, expressing concern that the line-item could be more at risk for total elimination at any time now that it’s not a percentage of the budget.

The State Library of Ohio also took a cut in the state budget, according to State Librarian Mandy Knapp. The SLO isn’t a public library, but works as a resource-sharing partner with other libraries in the state, along with providing grant funding. The fate of that grant funding was unclear last year as the Trump administration attempted to slash funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, through which the State Library of Ohio receives the funding for local grants.

Knapp previously told the Capital Journal that the grant funds are used for summer reading programs, cultural conservation efforts, and implementation of the Science of Reading in library programs.

In November, a federal court blocked the dismantling to the institute, averting a funding cut that Knapp said would “totally and utterly devastate” the library.

The polling also analyzed public opinion of township services across the state, and found that less than half of participants knew the funding model for townships, which is primarily funded through property taxes. They also receive some state funding through the Local Government Fund, though that fund has dwindled over the years.

“Township governments exist to provide the services residents count on most,” said Heidi M. Fought, executive director of the Ohio Township Association, in a statement. “Local funding allows communities to decide what works best for them.”

According to the County Commissioners Association of Ohio, after the Local Government Fund was frozen from 2001 to 2008, it was returned to the state budget, set to receive 3.68% of the tax revenue from the General Revenue Fund. The fund took a major hit during the Great Recession because of lower tax revenue, and lawmakers reduced the fund by 50% in the 2012-2013 budget.

In the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the fund saw 1.66% of tax revenue, far below the 3.68% of 2008. The fund saw marginal increases in the years that followed, and eventually went up to 1.7% starting in 2023.

The most recent budget boosted that fund to 1.75% of the GRF, despite advocates like the County Commissioners Association of Ohio requesting that the legislature return the fund to past levels with a boost to 3.68%.

A vast majority of voters polled in the recent study said local voters “should be responsible for deciding how to allocate township services.”

Voters said first responder services like the fire department and ambulances were among the top priorities for funding, along with maintenance of roads and bridges, and police departments.

In both the library and township services, more than half of voters said the two areas “provide many of the basic services people rely on today,” according to the study.

This story originally appeared at ohiocapitaljournal.com.

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Ohio House lawmakers have approved a measure aimed at banning ranked choice voting. Under the bill, no state election may be conducted with ranked choice and any local government that decides to use a ranked choice system would forfeit state dollars.

Ohio Senate Bill 63 passed the state Senate last May with bipartisan support. The 63-27 vote in state House drew the backing of two Democrats — Ohio state Reps. Lauren McNally, D-Youngstown, and Daniel Troy, D-Willowick. The measure leverages the Local Government Fund, a critical source of revenue for counties and cities around the state, to warn off local ranked choice efforts.

In written statement before the floor vote, Rank the Vote Ohio Executive Director Denise Riley said threatening local funding amounts to coercion. And she expressed disappointment that lawmakers banned the practice when no municipality in the state is actually using it yet. Two cities, Lakewood and Cleveland Heights, have been considering whether to put the practice on the ballot.

As a general matter, Riley argued transferring voters’ support in a ranked choice system “fixes a lot of problems.”

“No more spoilers. No more “wasted votes.” And it encourages positive campaigns, according to the American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy.”

House lawmakers tacked on an amendment clarifying the petition papers a political candidate submits to make the ballot are a public record. The bill now returns to the Senate.

Floor debate

Ohio state Rep. Sharon Ray, R-Wadsworth, warned ranked choice voting “presents significant implementation problems.”

The approach gives voters the option to select multiple candidates for a single office in order of their preference. Under a typical system, the lowest performing candidate gets eliminated in successive rounds. But if the voters who backed that eliminated candidate have additional candidates listed on their ballot, their vote gets transferred to their next choice in the following round.

Ray, who previously served on the Medina County Board of Elections, pointed to warnings from the Ohio secretary of state.

“While some voting machines might be able to accept the software update needed to tabulate grant choice voting, the update would be significant and costly,” Ray said. “Boards of elections that have older machines would most likely have to be replaced.”

Ohio state Rep. Ron Ferguson, R-Wintersville, warned ranked choice tabulation can take days or even weeks, and offered a tortured defense of the “one person, one vote” principle.

“We aren’t voting for three or four or five people. We’re voting for one person,” he said. “That’s the foundation of this republic.”

Although ranked choice systems allow a voter’s preference to be reflected in multiple rounds of tabulation, that voter still only gets one vote.

Rep. Adam Bird pointed to research suggesting ranked choice doesn’t reduce political polarization and might dilute minority voter representation. He added the public education campaign that would be needed for a new ranked choice system could be expensive.

More than anything, though, he voiced frustration with the idea of transferring votes.

“I can point to Alaska,” he said. “This happened in 2022, where there were three candidates, the two Republican candidates got 60 to 70% of the vote. But yet, after the process is implemented, the Democrat wins that.”

“In Maine in 2018,” Bird continued, “the Republican wins the first round but gets less than 50% of the vote because of the presence of two independents in the process. And so after you have exhausted ballots, you end up with a Democrat who wins that.”

It’s true that in Maine, a Republican got a plurality in the first round, and in successive rounds, the Democrat pulled ahead. But that cuts against Bird’s argument in Alaska.

The 2022 election cycle was closely watched because former Republican nominee for Vice President Sarah Palin decided to run in a special election for the U.S. House. If Bird was referring to that race, it’s true that the GOP candidates combined got a majority of votes in the first round, but the Democrat, former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola got the most votes of any candidate. In successive rounds, her margins grew until she cleared 50%.

When she ran again in that year’s general election, Peltola won again and actually improved on her margins.

Pushback

The only lawmaker to speak out against the proposal was Ohio state Rep. Ashley Bryant Bailey, D-Cincinnati. She argued the version of ranked choice Cincinnati used for local elections from 1925 to 1957 helped boost minority representation.

“This system reduced the domination of a single political machine and made Council representation more proportional,” Bryant Bailey said. “Under that system, African American candidates began being elected to council.”

One beneficiary was Ted Berry, who went on to become Cincinnati’s first Black mayor, Bryant Bailey explained.

She pushed back on Bird’s research, explaining she’d seen plenty of peer-reviewed studies demonstrating minorities do just fine, and maybe even participate at higher rates, under ranked choice.

“We all can find something to validate our plans,” Bryant Bailey said.

She concluded by explaining she’s not advocating for a ranked choice system and that she didn’t believe the debate was actually about ranked choice.

“This bill is not about protecting voters. It’s about control,” she said. “What this bill does is effectively ban ranked choice, but more than that, it tells our cities and our voters that we do not trust them to govern themselves.”

This story originally appeared at ohiocapitaljournal.com.

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Thus far, there are a few issues to be listed on a voter’s ballot for the upcoming May primary.

While the ballot language won’t be official until approval from the secretary of state on March 6 at 4 p.m., there are several school, township and city issues you may be coming across.

Why is the ballot not final until that date?

“The reason that we have to wait for that is that there’s still a possibility that someone could file a charter amendment, and so that might change the order of the issues, and therefore change the number [of each issue],” said Director of the Hamilton County Board of Elections Sherry Poland.

Below is a PDF of the current issues on the ballot. The ballot will be made official 60 days before the election on March 6.

School Issues

There are three school districts seeking money to aid their current expenses.

Mt. Healthy City School District is seeking an indefinite .75 earnings tax on residents within their school district. 

The Board of Education believes an income tax on taxable income may be the best means to adequately meet the necessary requirements of  the school district, according to a resolution declaring it necessary to annually raise an additional amount for school districts purposes. This document is written by Mt. Healthy School board.

The document states the amount of taxes which may be raised within the 10-mill limitation tax levies they currently receive will be insufficient to provide an adequate amount of money for necessary requirements.

The North College Hill City School District is also looking to aid their current expenses. They are seeking 1.25% of earnings tax over the following five years.

Southwest Local City School District is seeking a new tax levy lasting five years. This levy is for four mills. A four-mill tax levy generates $4 in tax revenue for every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value.

City issues

The City of Reading is seeking a tax levy of 5.89 mills. This tax levy asks $5.89 in revenue for every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value.

The money will be used for the issuance of bonds for municipal facilities, the levy, if passed, would last 28 years.

In section 1 of the resolution declaring the necessity of issuing bonds, it declares this tax levy is necessary to issue bonds of Reading’s city council in the principal amount of $27,000,000 for the purpose of site acquisition, new construction, improvements, renovations and additions to municipal facilities, and providing equipment, furnishings and site improvements.

Township Issues

Delhi Township is seeking a 3.2-mill tax levy, providing $3.2 for each $1,000 of assessed property, indefinitely from residents.

The money would support fire and emergency services within Delhi. 

“This is an emergency resolution for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare of the township,” states section 3 of the township’s resolution declaring the necessity of this levy.

The post What issues will be on the ballot for the May primary? appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

There are 105 candidates running for office during this year’s midterm elections, spread out between the federal, state and local level.

It’s easy to get confused with such an influx of information, but don’t worry — we’re here to help you understand who’s who and what’s on your ballot. 

Click here for a list of key election dates, from registering to vote to requesting your absentee ballot.

Federal elections

Special Election for U.S. Senate

Primary: May 5, 2026 

General: Nov. 3, 2026

This state-wide special election is being held to fill the federal Senate seat vacated by J.D. Vance when he became vice president. The pre-primary field is crowded, and will likely be quite competitive.

The incumbent is Sen. Jon Husted, the former lieutenant governor of the state. The candidate with the most name recognition is likely former Ohio senator Sherrod Brown, who is back in the running following his 2024 loss to Sen. Bernie Moreno. Brown faces a primary challenge from local disability activist Ron Kincaid. 

The race also includes four third party candidates: Jeffrey Kanter and Bill Redpath will face off during the Libertarian primary, while Gregory Levy represents the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Stephen Faris is running an independent write-in campaign.

District 1 U.S. House Elections 

Primary: May 5, 2026

General: Nov. 3, 2026

This House race pits former Cincinnati councilman and current incumbent Rep. Greg Landsman against a wide field vying for his seat in Washington, including a primary challenge from nonprofit executive Damon Lynch.  District 1 occupies most of Cincinnati and the outlying areas of Hamilton and Warren counties. 

The Republican ticket is a four-way primary challenge between sales manager Holly Adams, Air Force and CIA veteran Eric Conory, dentist Dr. Steven Erbeck, and nonprofit founder and educator Dr. Rosemary Oglesby-Henry. 

The winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries will face Libertarian candidate John Hancock. 

District 8 U.S. House Elections 

Primary: May 5, 2026

General: November 3, 2026

Incumbent Rep. Warren Davidson is currently serving his fifth term in the House, following his appointment to the seat after former House Speaker John Boehner resigned in 2015. District 8 is made up of many of the western suburbs of Cincinnati, including Cheviot, Mount Healthy and Woodlawn; as well as Butler, Darke and Preble counties.

Davidson will face the winner of May’s Democratic party primary election, which will be between Cincinnati-based CEOs Vanessa Enoch and Madaris Grant. 

State Elections

Governor

Primary: May 5, 2026

General: Nov. 3, 2026

Current Gov. Mike DeWine will be unable to run again following the end of his second term, so this election lacks an incumbent candidate. DeWine has endorsed former Roivant Sciences CEO and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to fill his seat. Despite that endorsement, Ramaswamy is facing two primary challengers: CEO Heather Hill and nonprofit founder Casey Putsch.

The winner of the Republican primary will face Democratic candidate and former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, as well as Libertarian candidate and former auto/HVAC worker Don Kissick. 

Independent candidate Tim Grady is a public affairs student at The Ohio State University. 

Lieutenant Governor 

Primary: May 5, 2026

General: Nov. 3, 2026

Unsurprisingly, the election for lieutenant governor is tied to the election for governor — whichever candidate wins that race, their running-mate will win this race.

Dr. Acton has picked former state Democratic Party chairman and Cincinnati councilman David Pepper as her teammate, while Hill has chosen Air Force veteran Stuart Moats, and Putsch has chosen Cloudality CEO Kim Georgeton.

Ramaswamy is running alongside state Sen. Robert McColly, and Kissick has selected James Mills. Independent candidate Tim Grady, meanwhile, has chosen substitute teacher and Army veteran Andrea Neutzling.

Attorney General

Primary: May 5, 2026

General: Nov. 3, 2026

Current A.G. Dave Yost is at the end of his second term, which means he is ineligible to hold the office again.

Instead, State Auditor Keith Faber is running for the office. He faces two Democratic party challengers; former state Rep. Elliot Forhan and Upper Arlington city councilman John Kulewicz. 

Secretary of State

Primary: May 5, 2026

General: Nov. 3, 2026

Current Secretary of State Frank LaRose, facing the end of his second term, has decided to run for state auditor, leaving current State Treasurer Robert Sprauge to run for secretary.

Sprauge is challenged by both Democrats, Libertarians and Republicans; including current state Rep. C. Allison Russo, local hematologist Dr. Bryan Hambley, and Toledo-based perennial candidate Tom Pruss. Sprauge even faces a challenger from within his own party, Air Force veteran Marcell Strbich. 

State Auditor

General: Nov. 3, 2026

This election pits current Maple Heights mayor Annette Blackwell against current Secretary of State Frank LaRose for the office of auditor; putting them in charge of financially investigating public bureaucratic bodies throughout the state.

State Treasurer

Primary: May 5, 2026

General: Nov. 3, 2026

Cincinnati City Councilman Seth Walsh finds himself running against both Jay Edwards (a veteran of the state House of Representatives) and Kristina Daley-Roegner (a veteran of the state Senate) for the office of treasurer.

If elected, either of the three would be put in charge of the state’s $249 billion dollar budget. 

Ohio Supreme Court (Brunner’s Seat)

Primary: May 5, 2026

General: Nov. 3, 2026

The only state-wide elected Democrat in Ohio, Justice Jennifer Brunner has held her spot on the bench since 2021.

This year, she faces four Republican challengers: Judge Andrew King of the Fifth District Court of Appeals, Judge Jill Flagg Lanzinger of the Ninth District Court of Appeals, Judge Ronald Lewis of the Second District Court of Appeals, and federal immigration Judge Colleen O’Donnell. 

Ohio Supreme Court (Hawkins’ Seat)

General: Nov. 3, 2026

Justice Dan Hawkins has served on the Ohio Supreme Court since 2024. This year he faces a Democratic challenger; Judge Marilyn Zayas of the First District Court of Appeals. 

District 9 State Senator 

General: Nov. 3, 2026

This undisputed election for state Senate covers much of Cincinnati and central Hamilton county. Incumbent Sen. Catherine Ingraham has held the seat since 2021. 

District 24 State Representative

General: Nov. 3, 2026

This undisputed race for state House covers a similar area to the Senate’s 9th district; including most of Cincinnati. Unchallenged incumbent state Rep. Dani Isaacson has held the seat since 2023. 

District 25 State Representative

General: Nov. 3, 2026

Incumbent Rep. Cecil Thomas is running an undisputed race for the State House, covering a district that includes multiple northern Cincinnati neighborhoods, including Clifton and Camp Washington.

Thomas has been in office since 2023. 

District 26 State Representative

General: November 3, 2026

Incumbent Rep. Ashley Bryant Bailey will be defending her seat in the State House from former state representative and national Senate candidate Tom Brinkman Jr.

Bryant Bailey’s district is spread across eastern Cincinnati, from Hyde Park to Mariemont, even including a bit of Mt. Washington. 

District 27 State Representative

General: Nov. 3, 2026

A first-time candidate, and the current president of wealth management business Clarita, Elizabeth Maier is seeking to challenge incumbent Rep. Rachel Baker for her seat in the State House.

The district includes the Indian Hill and Reading neighborhoods around the eastern edge of the city.

District 28 State Representative 

General: Nov. 3, 2026

Though she’s only held office for a little over a year, incumbent Rep. Karen Brownlee now faces a general election challenge by Blue Ash mayor Jill Cole — whose city lies at the heart of the district. 

District 29 State Representative 

General: Nov. 3, 2026

This election sees incumbent Rep. Cindy Adams defending her State House seat from Jonathan Bradner, a pastor at Immanuel United Church of Christ.

Rep. Adams’ district covers some of the far western suburbs of Cincinnati; from Northgate to the Indiana state line. 

District 30 State Representative 

General: Nov. 3, 2026

Stretching from Covedale all the way past Cleves, incumbent Rep. Mike Odioso’s district lies over much of the river front south-western area of Cincinnati. Odioso is being challenged by first-time candidate and public administration student Caleb Price. 

District 1 Court of Appeals Judge

General: Nov. 3, 2026

Judge Ginger Bock is running an undisputed race for the state First District Court of Appeals. Bock has been on the bench since 2021. 

County Elections

County Commissioner 

Primary: May 5, 2026

General: Nov. 3, 2026

The former mayor of Forest Park, Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas, is the first woman of color to be elected to a county commissioner position in the history of Ohio. She is facing a challenge from Jonathan Pearson, owner of Pearson Turf & Landscaping, who lost the 2024 Hamilton County Commissioner election to Commissioner Alicia Reese. Summerow Dumas is also facing a primary challenge from city council member Meeka Owens and former mayoral candidate Dr. Herman Najoli, who is running as both a Democrat and Independent.

County Auditor

Primary: May 5, 2026

General: Nov. 3, 2026

Incumbent Hamilton County auditor Jessica Miranda is facing an independent challenge from former State House candidate Regina Collins. 

Court of Common Pleas Elections

In the state of Ohio, all magistrates and attorneys wishing to join the bench of the county Court of Common Pleas must participate in a partisan primary election, followed by a non-partisan general election.

Judges from different divisions within the court can choose to run for a seat within another division, but must also participate in the primary. 

Court of Common Pleas Judge (General Division)

Primary: May 5, 2026

General: Nov. 3, 2026

The Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas has 14 active judges on it. Those marked as incumbents below are up for re-election this year, while those that aren’t are not active judges on the court. 

Who’s Running?

Democrats

Jennifer Branch (Incumbent)

Wende Cross (Incumbent)

William Gallagher

Alison Hatheway (Incumbent)

Sarah Henry

Manisha Kotian 

Latoya Maley 

Christian Jenkins (Incumbent) 

Donte Johnson

Alan Triggs (Incumbent) 

Chris Wagner (Incumbent) 

Republicans

Katie Casch (Incumbent)

Leah Dinkelacker (Incumbent) 

Robert Goering (Incumbent)

Chris McDowell (Incumbent) 

Court of Common Pleas Judge (Drug Court Division)

General: Nov. 3, 2026

This uncontested election will appoint Judge Nicole Sanders to the Hamilton Country Drug Treatment and Recovery Court, the only full-time court of its kind in the state. 

Sanders has sat on the bench since 2021. 

Court of Common Pleas Judge (Probate Division)

Primary: May 5, 2026

General: November 3, 2026

The Hamilton County Probate Court serves many of the legal needs for the county’s residents; including birth and death certificates, declarations of paternity, name changes, and will deposits.

Incumbent judge Ralph Winkler is facing a challenge from local attorney Elizabeth Tye-Bristol. Winkler has sat on the bench since 2015. 

Court of Common Pleas Judge (Juvenile Division)

Primary: May 5, 2026

General: Nov. 3, 2026

The Hamilton County Juvenile Court hears cases with children as a legal feature; including criminal delinquency cases, custody hearings, and child support cases.

Incumbent judge Kari Bloom is facing a challenge by magistrate Susan Luken, who currently serves as the assistant administrator for the probate court. Bloom has sat on the bench since 2021. 

Court of Common Pleas Judge (Domestic Relations Division)

General: Nov. 3, 2026

The Hamilton County Domestic Relations Court covers all aspects of family law not pertaining to children.

Magistrate Tiffany Evans is running unopposed in this election.

Party Central Committee Elections

In Ohio, voters elect the members of their party’s central committee.

As stated by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, a committee member is “…the first line of contact with residents of your precincts when they are concerned with local issues that may affect their community.”

Committee members also recruit and appoint precinct election officials during election season. During the primary, voters will vote for one male and one female member, to ensure gender equality on the committee. 

For a full list of Democratic Central Committee candidates, click here; for a list of Republican candidates, here, and Libertarian candidates, here.

This article was edited at 4:39 PM on March 3, 2026 to remove mention of some candidates who were no longer in contention.

The post What’s on your ballot? appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

Voting can be … complicated.

And while the state of Ohio has made strides to make the process easier over the years, here are some answers to questions you might have as you navigate the process and create your voting plan.

If you have a question we haven’t answered here, email us at news@citybeat.com.

How do you register to vote? 

There are six prerequisites to registering to vote in the state of Ohio:

1. You must be a citizen of the United States. 
2. You must be 18 years old on or before the day of the general election. 
3. You must have been a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election.
4. You must not be currently incarcerated on a felony charge.
5. You must not have been deemed incompetent to vote by a probate court.
6. You must not have violated Ohio voting laws in the past. 

You can vote in a primary election at 17 years old, but only if you’ll have a birthday before the following general election.

The Hamilton County Board of Elections explicitly says on its website that its goal is to make registering to vote easy.

Cincinnati residents can register in three ways: online, via snail-mail or in person. 

To register online, visit voteohio.gov and click “Register to Vote Online” in the top left. You’ll be asked to provide your first and last name, date of birth, driver’s license or state ID number, and the last four digits of your Social Security Number. You’ll also be asked to provide an address. You do not have to provide a party identification during this process. 

To register via mail, visit votehamiltoncounty.gov/register and click “Register by Mail” in the drop down menu. You can also call the Board of Elections office at (513) 946-8500 and ask them to mail you the registration form. The provided details are the same as applying online, and you do not have to provide a party identification. 

To register in person, visit any of the following locations:

• The Hamilton County Board of Elections, 4700 Smith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45212
• The office of the registrar or any deputy registrar of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles
• Public libraries
• Public high schools or vocational schools
• County treasurer’s offices
• The office of the Secretary of State
• The office of any of the 88 county boards of elections
• Offices of designated agencies, including:
  • The Department of Job and Family Services;
  • The Department of Health (including the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program);
  • The Department of Mental Health;
  • The Department of Developmental Disabilities;
  • Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities; or
  • The office of any state-assisted college or university responsible for providing assistance to disabled students

You’ll have to provide the same details as above, and you won’t have to provide a party identification.

Are absentee ballots right for me? 

The absentee request and ballot process can be overwhelming for potential voters, but understanding how you can benefit from this practical tool helps immensely. 

Both Democrats and Republicans are seeing increases in voters using absentee ballots. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, 31% of all votes cast nationally in 2022 were filed absentee — an almost 11% increase since 2016. 

If you want to file an absentee request, forms can be found on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website, and can be mailed or handed in directly at the Board of Elections office.

For identification purposes, you will need to provide either the last four digits of your Social Security Number, your state ID number, or a copy of another photo ID. You’ll also have to mark which type of election you’ll be filing the ballot in, the party you’ll be voting with, and the date of the election. It’s important to remember that a separate request must be filed for each election. 

It usually takes a few days for the ballot to arrive at your home. Once it’s filled out, mail it back in as soon as possible. Forms should be addressed to the Hamilton County Board of Elections, 4700 Smith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45212.

It can also be turned back in to the Board of Elections office in person; but only you or a near relative can do so. 

You can drop your absentee ballot off in person at a drop box at the board of elections, but it must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

The board of elections has a way for you to track your ballot so that you can ensure it has been received. Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page where there’s a form that reads Track My Absentee Ballot

How do you vote early?

Early voting in Ohio begins the day after the registration deadline.

To cast a ballot early starting April 7, go to the Hamilton County Board of Elections office at 4700 Smith Road in Cincinnati. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 24. 

On Monday, April 27, the office will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

On Tuesday, April 28, the office is open for an additional hour, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

Hours go back to 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. for the remainder of that week, April 29-May 1. 

The office is open the weekend before the election: 

On Saturday, May 2, voters have from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to cast their ballots in person. 

Sunday, May 2, those hours are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

If you need to fill out an absentee ballot, the request form must be received by April 28, meaning you should try to get it mailed out at least a week in advance (that means, if you’re reading this in our print edition, you don’t have much time left!). 

Either way, make sure you bring an acceptable form of ID with you when you go. Click here to make sure you have the correct form of ID. Generally speaking, a state driver’s license or ID, a U.S. passport or military ID is acceptable.

These are the forms of ID that are not available:

• Driver License from another State
• Utility bill, bank statement, government check, payroll check, government document, concealed carry permit
• Social security card
• Ohio “mobile” ID
• Non-renewable/non-transferable ID
• Official mail or notice from the Board of Elections
• MARCC ID (Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati)
• Expired ID

Where do you find your polling place? 

Polling place information can be found at voterlookup.ohiosos.gov. You’ll simply need to enter in your address to find your polling place. 

What to know if you go

The state of Ohio has many rules about what is and is not allowed in a polling place. If you violate those rules, even if you did not mean to, there’s a chance you may be removed from the premises. Knowing these rules will help you be better prepared to vote in person on the big day.

Some very important things to remember while you’re out voting:

Two small U.S. flags are present one hundred feet from every polling place. That is the boundary beyond which you can’t “loiter, congregate, or engage in any kind of election campaigning” according to the Secretary of State’s office. That boundary extends 10 feet around any voter waiting in line past the flags. 

You must bring an acceptable ID with you to the polls. Accepted IDs include a driver’s license, a state ID card, a U.S. passport, or a U.S. military ID card. Any ID presented must not be expired. 

As of the approval of HB 281 on April 6, 2023, you may be limited to only 10 minutes in a voting compartment or with a voting machine if all the others are occupied. This does not apply to voters with disabilities.

Voters with disabilities may have anyone of their choice assist them in filling out their ballot, so long as the chosen person is not their employer or their union officer. This extends to absentee ballots as well. 

A challenge may be issued by election officials if they believe you may not be a U.S. citizen, you may not have lived in Ohio for the requisite 30 days, you may not be in the correct polling place, or that you may not be of voting age. If a challenge is issued, an election official will ask a series of questions and may make you swear an oath. 

If you’re challenged, you will still be able to fill out a provisional ballot, which will count if you are proven to be able to vote by the Board of Elections. 

If you’re in line before 7:30 p.m., stay in line. You have the right to vote as long as you showed up while the polling place was still open.

If you have a question about voting you’d like us to answer for you, email news@citybeat.com.

The post All your election questions answered (if not, email us!) appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

The primary election is May 5, but it’s never too early to start making your voting plan, especially if you aren’t sure if you are registered. 

Whether you feel like you’re prepared or haven’t even thought about it yet, this guide is here to break down how, where and when you’ll be able to vote in Cincinnati and Hamilton County. 

Below is a list of the key dates coming up ahead of the primary election and into the general election in November so that you can have your voting plan ready to go.

Click here to find out who will be on the ballot for Hamilton County voters.

What’s a primary?

The current closest elections are the party primaries. These are when two members of the same party compete to see who will move on to the later general elections in November.

Right now

If you are already registered to vote, you can currently fill out and submit a request for an absentee ballot. Once the request is made, you’ll still have to wait until April 7 to send in your ballot.

Click here to find out if you are currently registered to vote. To update your voter registration, click here.

These requests must be received by 8:30 p.m. on April 28, so try to get them in the mail at least a week ahead of time.

March 20: Absentee process begins for overseas voters

Military members and U.S. citizens in foreign countries begin the absentee process on March 20, so that their ballots are able to get back to the country in time.

If you fit the description above, the Ohio Secretary of State’s office has specialized absentee request forms available here.

April 6: Deadline to register to vote

April 6 is the official deadline to register to vote in the May 5 primary elections.

There are three ways to register to vote: 

Online

You can register online at voteohio.gov, but only if you have an Ohio driver’s license or Ohio state identification card. If you don’t have one, you will have to register in person. 

You also need to provide the last four digits of your social security number if you vote online. 

By Mail 

Download a voter registration form at votehamiltoncountyohio.gov/register. 

Pick one up in person at the board of elections at 4700 Smith Road in Cincinnati. 

Or you can have one mailed to you by calling 513-946-8500. 

In person

You can get a voter registration form and submit the form at any of the following locations: 

• The Hamilton County Board of Elections, 4700 Smith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45212
• The office of the registrar or any deputy registrar of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles
• Public libraries
• Public high schools or vocational schools
• County treasurer’s offices
• The office of the Secretary of State
• The office of any of the 88 county boards of elections
• Offices of designated agencies, including:
  • The Department of Job and Family Services;
  • The Department of Health (including the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program);
  • The Department of Mental Health;
  • The Department of Developmental Disabilities;
  • Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities; or
  • The office of any state-assisted college or university responsible for providing assistance to disabled students

If you are physically unable to deliver your voter registration, you can provide it to an entrusted person to be delivered to the county board of elections within 10 days of completion or by the registration deadline. 

These are the requirements to register to vote:

• You have not been permanently disenfranchised for violating the election laws
• You are a citizen of the United States
• You will be at least 18 years old on or before the day of the next general election
• You will be a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election in which you want to vote
• You are not incarcerated (in prison or jail) for a felony conviction
• You have not been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court

April 7: Early voting starts

Early voting in Ohio begins the day after the registration deadline.

To cast a ballot early starting April 7, go to the Hamilton County Board of Elections office at 4700 Smith Road in Cincinnati. 

Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 24. 

On Monday, April 27, the office will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

On Tuesday, April 28, the office is open for an additional hour, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

Hours go back to 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. for the remainder of that week, April 29-May 1. 

The office is open the weekend before the election: 

On Saturday, May 2, voters have from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to cast their ballots in person. 

Sunday, May 2, those hours are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

Absentee ballots: 

If you need to fill out an absentee ballot, the request form must be received by April 28, meaning you should try to get it mailed out at least a week in advance (that means, if you’re reading this in our print edition, you don’t have much time left!). 

Download the form to request an absentee ballot below.

Other ways to get an absentee ballot request form: 

• Any Hamilton County Public Library 
• Call the board of elections at 513-946-8544 or 513-946-8539
• Pick up a copy at the board of elections office at 4700 Smith Road in Cincinnati 

Absentee ballots will start being sent out on April 7. 

April 28: Absentee request form deadline

This is the deadline for the board of elections to have received your absentee ballot request.

Completed absentee ballots must be dropped off in person on Election Day by 7:30 p.m.

May 5: Primary Election Day

The big day! Polling locations will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

Not sure where your polling location is? Click here to find out.

All absentee ballots that haven’t been mailed in should be delivered directly to the Board of Elections office at 4700 Smith Road in Cincinnati. 

After the primaries conclude on May 5, the newly elected candidates start campaigning against each other in the lead up to the general elections. 

There are some interesting state and national races, like a special election for J.D. Vance’s Senate seat, and local races that will determine everything from your tax bill to zoning laws that regulate what you can build on your property. 

Here are the dates to watch out for heading into the General Election: 

Sept. 18: Overseas voters can send in ballots

U.S. citizens abroad can start sending in their absentee ballots for the general election on Sept. 18.

Note that for those filing absentee requests, if you intend to vote in the Nov. 3 general elections and the Nov. 3 special election, you have to file two separate absentee requests for each election. 

Oct. 5: Registration deadline

The deadline to register to vote for the general and special election is Oct. 5.

Click here to find out if you are currently registered to vote. To update your voter registration, click here.

Oct. 6: Early voting begins

Early voting begins on Oct. 6, the day after the registration deadline.

Early voting can be done at the Board of Elections office from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Absentee ballots will also be sent out to those who registered for them starting Oct. 6.

Oct. 27: Absentee ballot request form

Oct. 27 is the deadline for absentee requests, which must be received by the Board of Elections by 8:30 p.m. 

Nov. 3: General Election Day

Election day commences (again!).

General Election Day! 

Absentee ballots must be dropped at the Hamilton County Board of Elections drop box by  7:30 p.m.

The post It’s time to start making your voting plan appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

A reward is being offered for anyone with information that could lead to the identification and arrest of suspects involved in Sunday night’s shooting at Riverfront Live, where nine people were injured.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced Monday on Facebook that a $5,000 reward is being offered; anyone with information can call 1.888.283.8477 or email ATFTips@atf.gov.

“We are devastated by the violence that occurred in the early hours of March 1st at Riverfront Live,” read a Facebook post the venue, located at 4343 Kellogg Ave. in Cincinnati, posted Sunday. “Our hearts are with the victims and their families. We are profoundly grateful that, at this time, all of the victims are reportedly in a safe and stable condition.”

The post went on to thank staff, first responders and the community.

“The immediate reaction from CPD helped to prevent further casualties,” the post said. “To those brave men and women- THANK YOU. To the community that we are proud to be a part of, Thank You.”

UC Medical Center Director of Media Relations Heather Chura Smith said the hospital had received eight patients from the incident.

“As of this morning, six have been treated and released, and two remain in stable condition,” Chura Smith said in a statement to CityBeat. The other injured person was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital.

The incident occurred at a party featuring several DJs that started around 10 p.m., police said.

Cincinnati Police and local leaders held a press conference Sunday morning to give the community an update.

“This is a challenging day for our community, a challenging day for the region,” Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said at the press conference, “but we will fight together for public safety and continue to hold these violent aggressors accountable.”

Purveal was one of several people to express how grateful they were no one lost their lives.

“I can only thank God that no one was killed,” said Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long. “Our Cincinnati police, firefighters, and EMS, along with other first responders, are heroes of the highest order. Time and time again, they run towards chaotic and dangerous situations like this. Their work saves lives last night in an ultimate act of public service.”

Interim Police Chief Adam Henie assured the public that those responsible will be held accountable.

“This is a tragedy that is going to be investigated to our fullest abilities and I’m very confident we will find those responsible and bring them to justice,” Henie said.

The post ATF offers $5,000 reward in capture of Sunday morning’s  mass shooters appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.