Voter guide: What's on the 2024 ballot in Cleveland

• Plus there's the presidential contest and key local elections.

How to vote

Act fast — Monday, Oct. 7, is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 5 election.

• Follow this link to register, check your status or update your voting address.
• View your sample ballot.

📆 Early and absentee voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 8.

🗳 To vote early in person: Visit your county's board of elections on a weekday between 8am-5pm.

• Voting hours will be extended starting Oct. 21.

✉️ To vote by mail: Call the board of elections and ask for an absentee ballot application to be mailed to you. (You may already have one.)

• Or print an application yourself.
• Mail the completed form back to the board of elections or drop it off by Oct. 29 to receive your ballot.
• Completed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 4 or hand-delivered to the board of elections by 7:30pm Nov. 5.

🇺🇸 Election Day voting: Polling places will be open Nov. 5 from 6:30am-7:30pm. Find your location.

• Ohio law now requires a photo ID to vote in person.

U.S. Senate

All eyes are on this toss-up race that could decide which party controls the Senate next year.

• Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is seeking his fourth term and faces Republican challenger Bernie Moreno, an entrepreneur from Northeast Ohio.
• About $390 million had been spent or reserved for ads in Ohio's Senate race as of mid-September, the most of any Senate contest in the country.

Go deeper: Ohio has the priciest Senate race this cycle

U.S. President

Vice President Kamala Harris (Democrat) will face former President Trump (Republican) in what's expected to be a nail-biter race nationally.

• Also on the ballot: Chase Oliver (Libertarian Party), Peter Sonski (American Solidarity Party) and Richard Duncan (independent).
• Former candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew from the Ohio ballot, while votes for Green Party candidate Jill Stein will not count because of a missed nomination deadline.

Statewide redistricting amendment

An Ohio constitutional amendment proposes to again change the system for drawing state and federal legislative maps to curb gerrymandering.

Flashback: Under processes approved by voters in 2015 and 2018, a commission of seven elected officials is currently responsible for drafting and approving maps.

• Yes, but: The commission's work has been controversial. The Ohio Supreme Court repeatedly ruled in 2022 its redrawn maps were unconstitutionally gerrymandered to favor Republicans.

State of play: The amendment would create a new Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission made up of five Republicans, five Democrats and five independents.

• Current and recent political officeholders, candidates, party officials and lobbyists are among those ineligible to serve on the commission.

Go deeper: Ohioans will again vote on redistricting reform

Cleveland schools levy

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) is asking voters to support a new property tax that would cost homeowners $300 for every $100,000 of assessed value each year.

• The 10-year levy would be on top of an existing levy that voters passed in 2020.

Between the lines: The levy would cover school operations. As part of the same ballot measure (Issue 49), CMSD wants voters to extend an existing bond issue for maintaining and renovating facilities.

Friction point: The levy has received overwhelming support from elected leaders and local Democrats as the district faces a looming budget shortfall and the threat of teacher cuts.

• Those opposed are concerned about overburdening taxpayers in Cuyahoga County. They have questioned the performance of district CEO Warren Morgan and his executive leadership team.

Cigarette tax

A proposed countywide levy would increase the price of cigarettes from 1.5 to 3.5 cents per cigarette, with proceeds benefiting Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, a grantmaking organization that funds local arts groups.

• If approved, the tax is projected to generate $160 million over 10 years.

Between the lines: The tax would be collected at the wholesale level and won't be assessed per pack, but consumers would likely see a pack price hike of approximately 30 to 40 cents.

Ohio Supreme Court

Three Ohio Supreme Court seats will be decided this year, which could affect the court's political leaning and have ramifications on pivotal issues from reproductive rights to the environment.

Catch up quick: Partisan labels were added to Supreme Court general elections in 2021, which is why Cleveland-area yard signs tend to promote the Democratic slate.

Zoom in: Incumbent Democratic Justice Michael P. Donnelly faces Republican challenger Megan E. Shanahan, a judge in Hamilton County.

• Incumbent Democrat Melody J. Stewart will face incumbent Republican Joseph T. Deters, who vacated his appointed seat to run against Stewart.
• Democrat Lisa Forbes, of the 8th District Court of Appeals, and Republican Daniel R. Hawkins, a judge in Franklin County, are running for Deters' old seat.

Ohio Statehouse

All 99 Ohio House seats and about half of the Ohio Senate's 33 seats are up for election this year.

State of play: The legislative maps are changing next term and the new districts are reflected on this year's ballot.

• Find your House and Senate districts by filtering for "2025 Districts" with your address.