Richland County, Ohio, Prohibit Certain Solar and Wind Energy Facilities Referendum (May 2026)

Richland County Prohibit Certain Solar and Wind Energy Facilities Referendum
	Election date; May 5, 2026
	Topic; Local renewable energy and Local zoning and land use
	Status; On the ballot
	Type; Referendum

Richland County Prohibit Certain Solar and Wind Energy Facilities Referendum is on the ballot as a referendum in Richland County on May 5, 2026.

A "yes" vote upholds the county's resolution prohibiting certain solar power facilities and wind power farms, as defined in law, in 11 of the county’s 18 townships.

A "no" vote repeals the county's resolution prohibiting certain solar power facilities and wind power farms, as defined in law, in 11 of the county’s 18 townships.

Election results

Richland County Prohibit Certain Solar and Wind Energy Facilities Referendum
Result	Votes	Percentage
Yes	0	0.00%
No	0	0.00%

Path to the ballot

Richland County Citizens for Property Rights & Job Development reported filing more than 4,300 signatures for the veto referendum.^[1] At least 3,320 signatures needed to be found valid. The four-member Richland County Board of Elections voted to validate 3,380 signatures—60 more than the minimum number required.^[2]

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.^[3] Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.^[4]

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.^[5]

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.^[6] 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.^[6]^[7]

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Ohio does not practice automatic voter registration.^[8]

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.^[9]

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.^[5]

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.^[10] 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.^[11]

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.^[12] 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.^[13] 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.^[14]

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.^[15]

”

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.^[16]

Footnotes

↑ Richland Source, "Coalition files petition to put wind/solar issue on Richland County ballot in May," August 28, 2025
↑ Richland Source, "Richland County commissioners respond to wind/solar issue headed to ballot in 2026," September 4, 2025
↑ Ohio Secretary of State, “Election Day Voting,” accessed December 18, 2025
↑ Cleveland.com, "Election Day has arrived. Here is what you need to know before heading to the polls," November 5, 2024
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Ohio Secretary of State, “Voter Eligibility & Residency Requirements,” accessed December 18, 2025
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 Ohio Secretary of State, "Register to Vote and Update Your Registration," accessed December 18, 2025 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "register" defined multiple times with different content
↑ Democracy Docket, “Ohio Governor Signs Strict Photo ID Bill Into Law,” January 6, 2023
↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed December 18, 2025
↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Same-Day Voter Registration," accessed December 18, 2025
↑ BillTrack50, "Ohio HB54," accessed January 27, 2026
↑ Columbus Dispatch, "Advocates sue Ohio over law requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote at BMV," August 26, 2025
↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
↑ Florida's law takes effect on January 1, 2027
↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Identification requirements," accessed December 19, 2025
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Ohio BMV, "Securing an Ohio ID," accessed December 19, 2025

[1] Richland Source, "Coalition files petition to put wind/solar issue on Richland County ballot in May," August 28, 2025

[2] Richland Source, "Richland County commissioners respond to wind/solar issue headed to ballot in 2026," September 4, 2025

[3] Ohio Secretary of State, “Election Day Voting,” accessed December 18, 2025

[4] Cleveland.com, "Election Day has arrived. Here is what you need to know before heading to the polls," November 5, 2024

[OHSoS-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Ohio Secretary of State, “Voter Eligibility & Residency Requirements,” accessed December 18, 2025

[register-6] 6.0 ^6.1 Ohio Secretary of State, "Register to Vote and Update Your Registration," accessed December 18, 2025 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "register" defined multiple times with different content

[7] Democracy Docket, “Ohio Governor Signs Strict Photo ID Bill Into Law,” January 6, 2023

[8] National Conference of State Legislatures, "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed December 18, 2025

[9] National Conference of State Legislatures, "Same-Day Voter Registration," accessed December 18, 2025

[10] BillTrack50, "Ohio HB54," accessed January 27, 2026

[11] Columbus Dispatch, "Advocates sue Ohio over law requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote at BMV," August 26, 2025

[12] Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."

[13] Florida's law takes effect on January 1, 2027

[ohioID-14] Ohio Secretary of State, "Identification requirements," accessed December 19, 2025

[quotedisclaimer-15] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[16] Ohio BMV, "Securing an Ohio ID," accessed December 19, 2025

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

Richland County Prohibit Certain Solar and Wind Energy Facilities Referendum

Election date May 5, 2026
Topic Local renewable energy and Local zoning and land use
Status On the ballot
Type Referendum

	v • e State of Ohio Columbus (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2026 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy

Richland County, Ohio, Prohibit Certain Solar and Wind Energy Facilities Referendum (May 2026)

Contents

Election results

Path to the ballot

How to cast a vote

Poll times

Registration

Automatic registration

Online registration

Same-day registration

Residency requirements

Verification of citizenship

Verifying your registration

Voter ID requirements

See also

Footnotes

Information about voting

2026 Elections

2025 Elections

Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

SITE NAVIGATION