Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Issue 55, Cigarette Tax Measure (November 2024)

Cuyahoga County Issue 55
Election date November 5, 2024
Topic County tax and Local tobacco tax
Status Approved
Type Referral

Cuyahoga County Issue 55 was on the ballot as a referral in Cuyahoga County on November 5, 2024. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported authorizing a tax on cigarettes at a rate of 3.5 cents per cigarette for 10 years.

A "no" vote opposed authorizing a tax on cigarettes at a rate of 3.5 cents per cigarette for 10 years.

A simple majority was required to approve the measure.

Election results

Cuyahoga County Issue 55
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		372,221	71.42%
No		148,973	28.58%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Issue 55 was as follows:

“

Proposed Replacement of Excise Tax on Cigarettes for Cuyahoga Arts and Culture County of Cuyahoga For the purpose of making grants to support operating or capital expenses of arts or cultural organizations in Cuyahoga County, to defray the costs of acquiring, constructing, equipping, furnishing, improving, enlarging, renovating, remodeling, or maintaining an artistic or cultural facility, and to meet operating expenses of Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, shall an excise tax be levied throughout Cuyahoga County for the benefit of Cuyahoga Arts and Culture on the sale of cigarettes at wholesale at the rate of 35 mills per cigarette, which amounts to 3.5 cents per cigarette, for 10 years? An existing tax of 15 mills per cigarette, which amounts to 1.5 cents per cigarette, having two years remaining, will be terminated and replaced upon the passage of this tax.

”

Path to the ballot

This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing body of Cuyahoga 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. Voters who are in line at 7:30 p.m. are permitted 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 board of elections offices, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices, public libraries and high schools, 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 in order to register to vote or update a voter registration.

Automatic 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

Ohio does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must be residents of Ohio for at least 30 days before the election.

Verification of citizenship

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

Ohio does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "whoever commits election falsification is guilty of a felony of the fifth degree."

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. 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 April 2023. 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 US passport; A US passport card; US military ID 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

”

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2024
• Local tobacco tax on the ballot

Ohio

• Ohio 2024 local measures
• Local ballot measures, Ohio
• Cuyahoga County, Ohio

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas