Ohio 2026 ballot measures
As of March 21, 2026, zero statewide ballot measures were certified in Ohio for the general election on November 3, 2026.
Potential measures
| Name | Type | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Eliminate and Prohibit Taxes on Real Property Initiative (2026) | Property taxes | Prohibit taxes on real property | |
| Ohio Equality of Rights Under the Law Amendment (2026) | Sex and gender; Constitutional rights | Provide for the equality of rights under the law, on "account of race, color, creed or religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression regardless of sex assigned at birth, pregnancy status, genetic information, disease status, age, disability, recovery status, familial status, ancestry, national origin, or military and veteran status" | |
| Ohio Prohibition of Data Center Construction Amendment (2026) | Land use | Prohibit the construction of a data center | |
| Ohio Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment (2026) | Constitutional rights | Repeal language in the Ohio Constitution that defines marriage as between one man and one woman | |
| Ohio Right to Civil Action Against Government Actors and Prohibit Immunity Defenses for Constitutional Violations Initiative (2026) | Civil trials; Constitutional rights; Law enforcement | Allow persons to bring civil lawsuits against the state, political subdivisions, public employees for alleged violations of constitutional rights under the Ohio Constitution | |
| Ohio Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment (2026) | Constitutional rights; Right to hunt and fish | Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife | |
| Ohio Voting and Elections Amendment (2026) | Absentee voting; Constitutional rights; Early voting; Voter registration | Make various changes to the Ohio Constitution regarding voting and elections, including providing for automatic voter registration and same-day registration change, voting by non-electronic and electronic means, providing photo identification, and require the state of Ohio to make accommodations for voters with disabilities |
Getting measures on the ballot
Citizens
In Ohio, citizens have the power to initiate constitutional amendments, state statutes, and veto referendums. Voters approved a constitutional amendment for initiative and referendum powers in 1912.
In Ohio, signatures for citizen-initiated measures must come from 44 of Ohio's 88 counties.
Legislature
The Ohio General Assembly can refer statewide ballot measures, in the form of constitutional amendments and state statutes, to the ballot in odd-numbered years and even-numbered years. In Ohio, the most common type of legislative referral is the constitutional amendment, which requires voter approval. Between 1995 and 2018, just one legislative referral was a statute.
Ohio requires a 60 percent vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 60 votes in the Ohio House of Representatives and 20 votes in the Ohio State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Historical facts
- See also: List of Ohio ballot measures
Ohio statewide ballot measures
In Ohio, a total of 69 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1985 and 2024. Voters approved 42 ballot measures, and 27 ballot measures were defeated.
| Ohio statewide ballot measures, 1985-2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Annual average | Annual minimum | Annual maximum | Approved | Defeated | ||
| # | % | # | % | ||||
Ballot initiative certification rates
The following table shows the rate of certification for ballot initiatives in Ohio between 2010 and 2024:
Ohio Historical Ballot Measures Factbook
Ballotpedia completed an inventory of Ohio ballot measures as part of Ballotpedia's Historical Ballot Measure Factbook, which will document nearly 200 years of direct democracy in the United States. To view a searchable database and analysis of Ohio ballot measures, click here.
Ohio ballot measures by the decade
The average number of measures per decade was 26, and the average number of measures approved per decade was 14.
The decade with the most ballot measures was the 1910s, which featured 70 ballot measures. Forty-one measures (58.57%) were approved, and 29 (41.43%) were defeated. In 1910, voters approved a measure to hold a constitutional convention to revise the state constitution. The Ohio Constitutional Convention of 1912 referred 42 constitutional amendments to voters in 1912, including the one that created the initiative and referendum process.
The decade that had the highest approval rate was the 1940s, which featured 10 measures—nine (90%) were approved, and one (10%) were defeated. The decade with the lowest approval rating was the 1920s. The decade featured 22 ballot measures—five (22.73%) were approved and 17 (77.27%) were defeated.
Not on the ballot
| Name | Type | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Regulate Cannabis Products Referendum (2026) | Marijuana | Uphold SB 56, which was designed to regulate marijuana in the state, including banning intoxicating hemp outside of a licensed cannabis dispensary, regulating packaging and labeling requirements, and capping the amount of dispensaries statewide |
See also
External links
