COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio voters will decide whether to renew a program that helps local governments support public infrastructure projects on the May primary ballot.
Early voting is already underway. Depending on where you live, you may have city council seats, judges, or a school levy. But on every ballot across the state, you’ll have Issue 2.
It is a constitutional amendment meant to support local infrastructure projects, which many voters have told us they want to see expeditiously, since Ohio roads are no joke.
"You got to keep swerving around all these potholes, the second you take your eye off the road you're setting yourself up for danger," Akron resident Eric Makowski said.
Issue 2 on the ballot on May 6 is meant to fix the problem and make the roads safer.
"Issue 2 is a bond package that basically pays for local infrastructure, roads, bridges, a whole number of other things," House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said when I asked him why he was supporting it.
Every ten years, voters choose whether or not to renew the state’s ability to issue billions in bonds for the State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP) and the Local Transportation Improvement Program (LTIP).
"We have lots of discussions about what we should spend money on, obviously, but almost all Ohioans agree on roads and bridges and infrastructure," Huffman added.
This year, the amount would be $2.5 billion. This resolution will increase the annual amount for the program from $200 million to $250 million per year. This will be paid for through state general obligation debt.
These grants cover roads, bridges, water supply, wastewater treatment, stormwater collection and solid waste disposal. These bonds must be used for these projects.
Read the full ballot amendment here.
State Sen. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) explained that this money can only be used for general government infrastructure. The money would not be able to be used for other types of projects, like for entertainment.
"The Browns issue has percolated at the same time this issue has come up," Smith said. "The two issues are not related whatsoever, but there is some confusion because of that."
To be very clear — this bond issue is unrelated to the Cleveland Browns' request for $600 million in bonds. This money would not be able to go to them.
Issue 2 has wide bipartisan support, from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce to each trade union. There seems to be no official, active campaign against it, but a couple of lawmakers are against it.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, state Rep. Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) argued that Issue 2 isn’t helpful when Ohioans are already struggling with inflation.
“I encourage you to consider voting no on Issue 2... Did the state deliver income tax reform? Have we delivered property tax reform? Do we need more of your money? Vote accordingly,” she wrote.
We talked with Tim, a Cuyahoga County voter, who saw and was convinced by her tweets, saying he didn’t think the state or cities deserved more.
"My taxes just go up every year and I think, 'You know what, we can allocate some of that money towards the infrastructure we need,'" he said.
But for Huffman, he said that Ohioans should have safe roads – ones where you don’t need to swerve to avoid craters.
"Even if you're not driving a car, you benefit from safety services who use the roads; you benefit from things that are delivered to your house," the speaker said.
In short — voting yes would renew the public works project. Voting no would stop the program.
Voting
Election Day is May 6. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. If not returned by mail, absentee ballots must be received by your board of elections by 7:30 p.m.
Early voting started April 8. You MUST vote at your county board of elections if you are voting early.
If you do not know your county's website, click or tap here. This contains their addresses, emails and phone numbers.
Click here to check your registration status.
Election Schedule
May 5: Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by this date.
May 6: Primary/Special Election: Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
May 6: Absentee Ballots may be returned by mail or personally delivered to your county board of elections. If not returned by mail, absentee ballots must be received by your board of elections by 7:30 p.m.
May 10: Last day for boards of elections to receive non-UOCAVA absentee ballots (returned by U.S. mail) that have been postmarked on or before May 5. UOCAVA absentee ballots must be received (by mail) by boards of elections by this date to be counted.
Hours of early voting
May 3: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
May 4: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
No early voting on May 5.
Where to vote
Click here to find your polling location for May 6. Once again, you MUST vote at your county board of elections if you are voting early.
Voter identification
You need to bring a photo ID when voting in person. Acceptable forms are a valid Ohio driver's license, a U.S. passport or a military ID. You may no longer use bank statements or utility bills.
RELATED: What you need to vote at the polls in Ohio
Other acceptable forms of ID are a state of Ohio ID card, an interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV, a U.S. passport card, an Ohio National Guard ID card and a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card.
Other unacceptable forms of ID are a driver’s license or photo identification card issued by a state other than Ohio; a Social Security card, birth certificate, insurance card, government check, paycheck, or other government document; or any registration acknowledgment notice from the county board of elections.
The IDs must have an expiration date that has not passed, a photograph of the voter, and 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.
If you do not have any of the approved forms of identification, you are allowed to cast a provisional ballot. To have your vote counted, you must return to the BOE within four days of the election to provide a photo ID.
Nonpartisan voter helpline
If you have any questions or concerns about voting, a nonpartisan helpline has been created.
Call or text 1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) to speak with a trained Election Protection volunteer in English.
The hotline also comes in different languages
Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)
Asian languages: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)
Arabic: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)
