The 2021 general election in Ohio may not have the same level of excitement as the 2020 presidential election, but the end results are just as important.
Ohio voter turnout for 2020 was just 74%. The 2018 mid-term was 55%, and the 2017 general election had just 30% turnout.
However, Jen Miller — executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio — said even in these “off” years, every eligible voter should show up to ensure their voice is heard.
“This election is important because we’re talking about local school boards, local judges,” said Miller. “Those elected officials that can really affect our daily lives, how funding will be spent in our communities, what policies are implemented.”
Ballot issues include tax levies to fund fire, police, parks and road repairs.
Cincinnati’s 2021 general election is shaping up to be a doozy and will effectively change the city’s entire leadership. Voters will decide who will launch the city’s next era as mayor while also filling nine Cincinnati City Council spots from among 35 candidates.
There is no incumbent candidate on the ballot on mayor, as current Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, a Democrat, is nearing the end of his second and final term. He now is campaigning to become Ohio’s governor in 2022, joining current Governor Mike DeWine, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley and others in the ring.
Instead, this year’s mayoral race is between two current government servants — Aftab Pureval and David Mann — both of whom are Democrats. This will be Cincinnati’s first new mayor in eight years.
The 2021 race for Cincinnati City Council is one of the largest in the city’s history, with 35 candidates running for nine seats at two-year terms.
The city council candidates largely are new, but many have become known in local activist, political or business circles. Additionally, there is one elected incumbent candidate as well as four appointed incumbents on the ballot.
Greg Landsman is the elected incumbent. He assumed office in January 2018 and is known for passing 2019’s eviction-prevention program, which aimed to help tenants who fell behind on rent.
The four appointed incumbent candidates include Steve Goodin, Liz Keating, Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney and Betsy Sundermann.
Six candidates are running for four seats on the Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) Board of Education: Pamela Bowers, Brandon Craig, Gary Favors, Kareen Moffett, Mike Moroski and Mary Wineberg.
Bowers, who assumed office in 2019, is running for another term, along with Moroski, who has been on board since 2018.
Read a full guide to candidates and issues at citybeat.com.
Early voting started four weeks ago and ends today. Tomorrow (Nov. 2), Election Day polls are open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
A proper ID is required to vote, and Miller said voters can find their polling location and other important election information at vote411.org. You can also check out CityBeat’s voting guide.
“A lot of folks are frustrated with our government,” said Miller. “They feel as though our government is dysfunctional. The best thing you can do is vote and make sure that you’ve done your research, especially in those local races.”
Miller contended that Ohio has a solid elections system with multiple ways to access the ballot and strong security measures to ensure accuracy. But she added there’s always room for improvement, including automatic voter registration.
“When voters go to the DMV and their registration is out of date, that can automatically be updated,” said Miller. “That helps every voter because it makes our voter rolls more accurate and more secure. It reduces provisional ballot counts and, overall, makes our system more efficient.”
She argued that other measures to expand voting access would include allowing online absentee requests, and expanding early voting centers and drop boxes per county.
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This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 9, 2021.