Columbus, Ohio, Issue 9, Public Utility Infrastructure Bond Measure (November 2025)

Columbus Issue 9
Election date November 4, 2025
Topic City bonds and County bonds
Status Approved
Type Referral

Columbus Issue 9 was on the ballot as a referral in Columbus on November 4, 2025. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported issuing $500 million in bonds for the maintenance of public utility infrastructure, such as water lines, power lines, and sewer systems, and levying a tax at a rate of $42 per $100,000 of assessed property value to repay the bonds.

A "no" vote opposed issuing $500 million in bonds for the maintenance of public utility infrastructure, such as water lines, power lines, and sewer systems, and levying a tax at a rate of $42 per $100,000 of assessed property value to repay the bonds.

A simple majority was required for the approval of Issue 9.

Click this link to see the list of local ballot measures for Ohio in 2025.

Election results

Columbus Issue 9
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		85,533	71.58%
No		33,956	28.42%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Issue 9 was as follows:

“

Shall bonds be issued by the City of Columbus, Ohio for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, renovating, and improving infrastructure for water, power, sanitary sewers and storm sewers and other public utility improvements, acquiring real estate and interests in real estate, landscaping and otherwise improving the sites thereof, and acquiring furnishings, equipment and appurtenances in the principal amount of $500,000,000 to be repaid annually over a maximum period of 25 years, and an annual levy of property taxes be made outside the ten-mill limitation, estimated by the county auditor to average over the repayment period of the bond issue 1.21 mills for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $42 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value, commencing in 2025, first due in calendar year 2026, to pay the annual debt charges on the bonds, and to pay debt charges on any notes issued in anticipation of those bonds?

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in Ohio

This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing body of Franklin County.

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. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. 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 2025
• City bonds on the ballot
• County bonds on the ballot
• Franklin County measures

Ohio

• Ohio 2025 local measures
• Local ballot measures, Ohio
• Franklin County, Ohio

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas

External links

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