Ohio Anti-Extremism Voting Guide

WE’RE GOING LOCAL — LOCAL ELECTIONS, THAT IS!

The Power of Local Elections

On November 4, there are Municipal and School Board elections across our state. We know that everything that’s happening at the state and federal level right now feels overwhelming. But local elections – like we have this year – have a huge impact on our everyday lives. While it’s not as splashy as a presidential election, it’s still just as important! As voters, we get to decide if local levies get passed to help our communities, and who will fill:

  • Over 8,000 School Board seats
  • City Councils seats
  • Township Trustee positions

In 2025 no candidate we vote for is in DC or in Columbus — they are right in our neighborhoods. This is why we say, “When they go low, we go local.” Right now, your power is at the local level and you need to flex those muscles. The candidates on the ballot determine the curriculum in our schools, the books our kids read, when potholes get fixed, and what businesses get approved to open.

Unfortunately, local elections usually don’t get strong voter turnout. When voter turnout is low, sometimes races have been decided by just one or two votes. Really, we’ve seen it happen! That’s why it’s so important for us to vote and to share election information with everyone we know and get them to the polls, too.

Researching local races is hard, so we’ve taken the work out of it for you! Our voting guide gives you the tools to learn who’s running for office, who are the common sense candidates, and who doesn’t align with our values. We’ve done the research — including “intel” from our Red Wine & Blue Troublemakers who live in these communities.

We can make a difference this year by electing candidates who share our values, which will also send a clear message for what we expect from candidates in 2026. So let’s get you ready to vote on November 4!

Ohio School Board Elections

Ohio’s school voucher program has shifted millions of dollars away from public schools to fund tuition payments for private school students, many who were already attending private schools. Taxpayers are funding private school education, and it’s hurting our public schools. Protecting public education and making sure Ohio public schools receive sufficient funding is critical to their survival. We have to vote for candidates that support public education for all children in Ohio.

In addition to funding shortages, our schools are under further attack. But we’re done letting extremists who want to ban books, censor school curriculums, and target families of LGBTQ+ children with political attacks try to control our public education system. It is so important to elect school board members who support public education and who will keep our schools safe and welcoming for all children. You can learn more about some of the critical races below.

Redrawing Ohio’s Legislative Maps

It’s not on the ballot, but we all need to be paying attention to the redrawing of our voting district maps!

Did you know that Ohio is one of the most gerrymandered states in the country? When a district is gerrymandered, it allows politicians to choose their voters instead of the other way around. It takes away power from voters because politicians know they will be re-elected, regardless of their behavior or performance.

Gerrymandering also results in skewed representation, where one party is disproportionately represented in the legislature. In Ohio, Democrats make up 45% of registered voters but only 30% of elected state legislative seats, whereas Republicans make up 55% of registered voters but hold 70% of elected state legislative seats. And our representation at the national level is also skewed. Our 15 U.S. congressional seats are currently held by 5 Democrats and 10 Republicans, even though a fair representation of all voters should be a much closer split. We can’t let this get any worse.

The maps Ohio drew in 2021 were found to be unconstitutional, and we have tried to correct our gerrymandered districts multiple times. We have an opportunity to amend the maps again in 2025. What gets drawn now will hold until 2031. Help us hold Columbus accountable!

Want to learn more about Equal Districts and gerrymandering? Check out this information from our partners, Equal Districts.

Make a plan to vote!

Share this information with everyone you know — and don’t forget any young people in your life who turn 18 by Election Day, or college students who are away from home and need an absentee ballot.

Important Voting Dates

Ohio election voting deadlines

Printable Voting Guide

You can print this out, fill it in, and take it with you when you vote!

Ohio Voting Guide

Frequently Asked Questions about Voting in Ohio

How do I register to vote?

You must register to vote by October 6, 2025. County Boards of Election will be open until 9pm that day for voter registration. You can also register online here.

How do I vote absentee?

Here’s how to vote absentee:

  • Military and overseas absentee voting starts September 19, 2025.
  • Absentee voting by mail begins October 7, 2025.
  • Absentee ballot applications must be received by October 28, 2025 by 8:30 pm. You can find the application here.
  • Absentee ballots may be returned by mail or personally delivered to your County Board of Elections.
    • If returned by mail, it must be postmarked on or before November 3, 2025, and received by November 8, 2025.
    • If not returned by mail, it must be received by November 4, 2025 by 7:30 pm.
    • Drop boxes are only available at your County Board of Elections office.

Can I vote early?

Yes, early in-person voting begins October 7, 2025 and includes two weekends of early voting before Election Day. Hours vary by week and day so make sure you visit the Ohio state voting page for more information on early voting hours and locations near you.

How do I request a Sample ballot?

Want to know who and what will be on your ballot? Go to the Ohio Board of Elections website and look for your county’s sample ballot.

Who’s on the Ballot?

We need to elect common sense school board members who reflect our values. That means voting all the way down our ballot for public school champions who will stand up against the loud, extremist minority causing chaos in our schools.

You can find information below about candidates in key school board races across the state.

Candidates with a green check mark next to their name have proven that they are aligned with Red Wine & Blue’s values, like support for public education funding and creating safe and welcoming environments for all students.

Candidates with a red “x” next to their name are endorsed by extremist groups, have expressed support for extremist policies like book bans and religious release time, or have otherwise proven that they are not aligned with Red Wine & Blue’s values.

Note: Not all Ohio races are included in this list. Red Wine & Blue is working on the ground in these key races where we have the most ability to impact the outcome of the election.

School Board Candidates

Southwest Ohio

Forest Hills Local School District (At Large)

3 seats available:

 Jeff Nye

 Erin Walczewski

 Jeremy Ward

Jodi Harding

Lakota Local School District (At Large)

3 seats available:

 KELLEY CASPER

 ALEX ARGO

 ELYSE JENKINS

BEN NGYUEN

Lebanon City School District (At Large)

2 seats available:

JESSI ELLIS-ALVAREZ

IAN MCPHERSON

MICHAEL GLIATTI

ROY MACCUTCHEON

DANIELLE SCHULTZ

 

1 seat available:

ESTHER BANTA LARSON

JENNIFER A DAULTON

Little Miami Local School District (At Large)

2 seats available:

DAVID WHITING

BOBBIE GRICE

DAN M. SMITH

MANDY BULLOCK

Miamisburg City School District (At Large)

3 seats available:

CHRIS AMSLER

SHELBI NUNERY

ANN L. NIESS

RYAN S. RIDDELL

CHRIS KEILHOLZ

New Richmond Exempted School District (At Large)

3 seats available:

 AMY STORY

 ONJEL JACKSON

 JONATHAN ZIMMERMAN

Oak Hills Local School District (At Large)

3 seats available:

Rich Haffey

Shane Krugler

Ed Badinghaus, Jr.

Bart West

West Clermont School District (At Large)

3 seats available:

 JAMES “JIM” RUDY

 RYAN PATTON

 MICHAEL CHUMLEY

RICH GLISSON

Xenia Community City School District (At Large)

3 seats available:

JENNIFER MARIETTA

TYLER SCOTT

DEBORAH WILLIAMS

Northeast Ohio

Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School District (At Large)

2 seats available:

ADRIA CATANESE

TISH KWIATKOWSKI

NOEL ABOU MITRI

Medina City School District (At Large)

3 seats available:

JEANNE PRITCHARD

VICTORIA DRULEY

AARON HAIR

AIDEN C. HAGGARD

Mentor Exempted Village School District (At Large)

3 seats available:

MARGARET A. COOK

 DANIEL HARDESTY

ROBERT HAAG

LINDA J. O’BRIEN

North Royalton City School District (At Large)

2 seats available:

MICHELLE BAUER

BRIDGET WU

JEREMIAH SAWYER

LISA SHUCK

Riverside Local School District (At Large)

3 seats available:

 BELINDA GLAVIC GRASSI

JOE AUDINO

 JIMMIELEE VIRES

SCOTT H. FISHEL

Central Ohio

Dublin City School District (At Large)

3 seats available:

TIFFANY DESILVA

TARA SEWARD

KRISTY VENNE

Gahanna-Jefferson Public School District (At Large)

3 seats available:

KARA COATES

DION MANLEY

MEGAN DIMMERLING

JOHN DOOLEY, JR.

CYNTHIA LAMPKINS

Gahanna-Jefferson Public School District (Unexpired Term)

1 seat available:

SUE HORN

Olentangy Local School District (At Large)

2 seats available:

KEVIN DABERKOW

BRANDON J. LESTER

OMAR ASRAF

SHILPA SAXENA

Can we count on you?

Share this voting guide with 5 friends today!

Americans trust their friends and family more than any other source for accurate information about the elections. That means your friends and family need to hear from YOU about what’s at stake in this election and why it’s important to vote.