WAVERLY, Ohio — Pike County voters are deciding a new tax for developmental disabilities services and one of the few contested courthouse races in southern Ohio as early voting continues ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election. Ballots can be cast early at the Pike County Board of Elections, 230 Waverly Plaza, Suite 1100, in Waverly, and polls will be open countywide from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
The countywide money question asks voters to approve an additional tax for the Pike County Board of Developmental Disabilities, funding programs and services that can include acquiring, building, renovating, financing, maintaining and operating DD facilities. The levy would collect an estimated $1,327,292 annually at a rate not exceeding 2 mills, which amounts to $70 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s market value, for five years commencing in 2026, with the first collection due in calendar year 2027.
The headline county race is for county commissioner, where Democrat Bob Thompson and Republican Neil Edward Leist are both seeking the seat. The winner will help set the county budget and oversee county departments for the next four years. Republican David K. Brown is the only candidate on the ballot for county auditor.
Waverly City School District voters face a school funding question of their own: an income tax on the earned income of district residents, proposed for five years to pay current expenses. School income taxes apply to wages and self-employment earnings rather than to retirement income, interest or capital gains.
Township voters across Pike County will see a series of five-year renewal levies, most of them for fire protection and cemeteries. They include Benton Township’s cemetery renewal, estimated to collect $31,194 annually at up to 1.6 mills; Pebble Township’s cemetery renewal, about $71,164 at up to 1.5 mills; Mifflin Township fire protection, about $8,809 at up to 1 mill; Perry Township fire protection, about $11,258 at up to 2 mills; a joint Seal Township and Piketon Village fire renewal, about $56,318 at up to 1 mill; Sunfish Township fire protection, about $19,822 at up to 1.5 mills; and Union Township’s cemetery renewal, about $7,255 at up to 1 mill. Because they are renewals, passage keeps existing taxes in place rather than adding new ones.
Pike County voters also share in the district and statewide contests on every southern Ohio ballot, including the Fourth District Court of Appeals race between Republican Jayme Hartley Fountain and Democrat Todd L. Grace, the race for governor between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton, and the unexpired U.S. Senate term between Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Jon Husted. State Issue 3 asks voters statewide whether to place Ohio’s photo ID voting requirements in the state constitution.
Early in-person voting follows the statewide schedule: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays through Oct. 23, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, longer hours the last week of October, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, the final day of early voting. Absentee ballot applications are due to the board by 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and mail ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Bring an accepted photo ID, such as an Ohio driver’s license, state ID or U.S. passport, when voting in person.