LANCASTER — Early in-person voting is under way at the Fairfield County Board of Elections, 951 Liberty Dr. in Lancaster, and the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election ballot is led by a library levy in Pickerington, fire and road levies in the townships, and a write-in challenge for county auditor.
The Pickerington Public Library is asking for an additional 1.5-mill levy for a continuing term, beginning with the 2026 tax year and first collected in 2027. The levy is estimated to raise $4,104,440 a year and would cost about $53 a year for the owner of a $100,000 home. It applies across the library’s territory, the Pickerington Local School District.
Two township levies are also additional taxes for continuing terms. Madison Township seeks 1.5 mills for road and bridge construction and repair, an estimated $121,963 a year, about $53 per $100,000 of value. Pleasant Township seeks 2.0 mills for fire and EMS services, an estimated $689,992 a year, about $70 per $100,000.
Most county officials are unopposed: Commissioner Jeffrey Fix (R), Common Pleas Judge David Andrew Trimmer (R) and Juvenile/Probate Judge Terre L. Vandervoort (R) have no opponents on the ballot. The exception is the auditor’s office, where Republican Carri L. Brown faces a write-in challenge from Elaine Flinn — voters who want to support Flinn must write in her name and fill in the corresponding oval.
Voters in the Fairfield County precincts of neighboring districts will also see questions from across the county line, including a Southwest Licking Local Schools 2.7-mill bond issue for new schools, running 35 years, paired with an earned income tax change from 0.75% to 2%, and a 1-mill, five-year renewal for the Pataskala Public Library in the Licking County overlap precincts.
Legislative races on Fairfield County ballots include U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson (R) against Jerrad Christian (D) in the 12th District; Kevin D. Miller (R) against Amy Rigsby (D) in the 69th Ohio House District; and Jeff LaRe (R) against Whittney Wood (D) in the 73rd.
Statewide, Ohio voters will choose a governor — Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, Democrat Amy Acton or Libertarian Don Kissick — and decide a U.S. Senate race between Republican Jon Husted, Democrat Sherrod Brown and Libertarian William B. Redpath. Also on the ballot are attorney general (Keith Faber vs. John J. Kulewicz), auditor of state (Frank LaRose vs. Annette Blackwell), secretary of state (Robert Sprague vs. Allison Russo), treasurer (Jay Edwards vs. Seth Walsh), two Ohio Supreme Court seats, and State Issue 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would require photo identification to vote.
Early in-person voting continues at the board of elections office in Lancaster from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays through Oct. 23, then expands: Saturday, Oct. 24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Monday, Oct. 26 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Oct. 28–30 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 1 from 1 to 5 p.m. Absentee ballot applications are due by 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 27, and voted absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Voters must show photo identification, and polls will be open Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.