Cincinnati, Ohio, Issue 23, Changes to Local Initiative and Elections Processes Charter Amendment (November 2023)

Cincinnati Issue 23
Election date November 7, 2023
Topic Local ballot measure process and Local charter amendments
Status Approved
Type Referral

Cincinnati Issue 23 was on the ballot as a referral in Cincinnati on November 7, 2023. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported amending the city charter to make changes to local initiative and election processes, including: requiring local citizen initiative petitions to be submitted to Council Secretary before signature collection; providing for a schedule for submitting initiative signatures to the Clerk of Council; limiting local initiatives to one subject; providing for a cure period for local initiative and candidate petition signatures; providing for electronic voting for city council members; making technical changes throughout the city charter to reflect that councilmembers are elected to two-year terms; and  changing the timeline for filing a nominating petition for an election to an unexpired term of office of mayor with state and federal requirements.

A "no" vote opposed amending the city charter to make changes to local initiative and election processes.

Election results

Cincinnati Issue 23
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		50,018	65.06%
No		26,856	34.94%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Issue 23 was as follows:

“

Shall the Charter of the City of Cincinnati be amended to clarify the process for citizens to initiate charter amendments, ordinances, and referenda by providing a process and timeline for submitting petitions for initiatives, referenda, and Charter amendments to the Clerk of Council to allow a reasonable time for verification of signatures and drafting necessary ordinances and an opportunity for citizens to collect additional signatures on petitions; requiring petition circulators to submit a certified copy of any initiative, referendum or Charter amendment petition to the Clerk of Council before collecting signatures on the petitions; permitting City Council to cast their votes by any method that publicly announces their vote, including voice, electronic, or other mechanical method; clarifying throughout the Charter that Council terms are two years; clarifying that candidate petition circulators must sign a statement rather than provide a notarized affidavit on candidate petitions; aligning the timeline for filing a nominating petition for an election to an unexpired term of office of mayor with state and federal requirements; and providing an opportunity for candidates for Council and Mayor to collect additional signatures on their petitions by amending existing Sections 3 and 5 of Article II, "Legislative Power," and existing Sections 1, 2, and 4 of Article IX, "Nominations and Elections," and by enacting new Section 8 of Article II, "Legislative Powers"?

”

Path to the ballot

The initiative was referred to the ballot by the Cincinnati City Council.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Ohio

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Ohio.

How to vote in Ohio

Poll times

In Ohio, all polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Ohio, an applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the election. Individuals who are incarcerated for a felony conviction, have been declared by a court to be incompetent for voting purposes, or have been permanently disenfranchised may not register to vote.

Applicants may register to vote online, in person, or by mail. The Ohio Voter Registration and Information Update Form is available online and can be requested by mail. In-person voter registration is available at various locations including the secretary of state and county board of elections offices, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices, public libraries and high schools, county treasurers' offices, and other state agencies. A full list of locations is available here.

The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before the next election. An Ohio driver’s license number, state ID card number, or the last four digits of a SSN is required to register to vote or update a voter registration.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Ohio does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Ohio has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

Ohio does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must be "a resident of Ohio for at least 30 days immediately before the election in which you want to vote," according to the Ohio Secretary of State's Office.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Ohio requires those registering to vote or updating their voter registration information at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility to provide proof of citizenship before being allowed to do so. Individuals registering to vote in other settings do not have to provide proof of citizenship but must attest to their citizenship in a sworn statement.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Eight states — Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming — have laws requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. Three states, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, require a person provide proof of citizenship if their citizenship status cannot be verified by other means. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

Ohio requires voters to present photo identification while voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of December 2025. Click here for the Ohio Secretary of State page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

“

Ohio driver's license; State of Ohio ID card; Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV; A U.S. passport; A U.S. passport card; US military ID card; A U.S. military dependent card; Ohio National Guard ID card; or US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card All photo IDs must have the following: An expiration date that has not passed; A photograph of the voter; The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the Poll List or in the Poll Book NOTICE: An unexpired Ohio Driver License, State ID Card, or Interim Documentation with your former address IS an ACCEPTABLE form of ID when your current address is in the pollbook.

”

To view Ohio law pertaining to voter identification, click here.

Ohio voters can obtain a free state ID card from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2023
• Local elections and campaigns ballot measures

Ohio

• Ohio 2023 local measures
• Local ballot measures, Ohio
• Cincinnati, Ohio

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas