MANSFIELD, Ohio — Richland County voters face one of the fuller ballots in north-central Ohio this fall, with a contested commissioner race, a challenged probate judge and more than 25 local issues spread across townships, villages and school districts. Early voting is under way at the Richland County Board of Elections, 1495 W. Longview Ave. in Mansfield, ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, when polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The top county race is for county commissioner, where Republican incumbent Cliff Mears faces Democrat Mark Kaufmann. Mears, a former Mansfield City Council president, won a contested Republican primary in May. Kaufmann, a Mansfield resident since 2021 with a background in Michigan employment law, has campaigned on public accountability and transparency, criticizing the commissioners’ partial ban on industrial solar projects in 11 townships and a permissive property tax credit for owner-occupied homes.
Voters will also settle a courthouse contest in the probate division of the Court of Common Pleas, where Judge Kelly L. Badnell, finishing her first term, is challenged by Robert A. Franco in the nonpartisan race. The rest of the county ticket is settled: Republican Patrick W. Dropsey is unopposed for county auditor, Republican Heidi Ewing is the only candidate for clerk of courts for an unexpired term, Republican Phillip S. Naumoff is unopposed for the general division of Common Pleas Court, and Republican Matthew George is the sole candidate for the Fifth District Court of Appeals.
The biggest money questions sit in the Lexington Local School District, which has two issues before voters. One is a fixed-sum renewal levy that would raise $2,680,000 a year for current operating expenses, at a rate the county auditor estimates will average 4.8 mills, or $168 for each $100,000 of market value, for five years commencing in 2026. The second is a proposed 0.75 percent income tax on the earned income of district residents, for 10 years beginning Jan. 1, 2027, also for current expenses.
Elsewhere in the county, Madison Township voters decide two additional five-year levies, 2.5 mills for the fire department and 4 mills for streets, roads and bridges, plus a natural gas aggregation question. Shelby voters weigh renewal levies of 0.9 mill for the health department and 0.5 mill for parks, Bellville has renewals of 3 mills for police and 2 mills for the cemetery, Lexington village has a 1-mill parks renewal, and Lucas voters decide a 0.75 percent income tax for general municipal operations.
In the legislature, Republican Marilyn S. John faces Democrat Colton Stidam in the 76th House District. The 5th Congressional District race is three-way, with Republican incumbent Bob Latta against Democrat Brian A. Shaver and Libertarian Michael J. Veloff. Statewide, voters choose a governor between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton, an unexpired U.S. Senate term between Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Jon Husted, and State Issue 3, which would place Ohio’s photo ID voting requirements in the state constitution.
Early in-person voting continues on the statewide schedule: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through Oct. 23, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, longer hours the final week, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1. Absentee ballot applications must be received by 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and mail ballots must be returned 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, to vote in person.