wvxu.org/show/cincinnati-edition/2023-10-09/history-ranked-choice-voting-ohio-theresa-gavarone

ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/09/29/ohio-senators-consider-election-law-changes-to-close-primaries-prohibit-ranked-choice-voting

cleveland.com/opinion/2023/09/can-ranked-choice-voting-catch-mice-gene-krebs.html

nbc4i.com/news/your-local-election-hq/ohio-lawmaker-seeks-to-ban-ranked-choice-voting-as-republican-opposition-to-the-system-mounts

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/3107841539799-editorial-ranked-choice-feared

Defend Home Rule in Ohio

On March 17, 2026 Governor Mike DeWine signed SB63 into law, a law designed to prevent local communities from adopting Ranked Choice Voting. But this fight is about more than Ranked Choice Voting.

It's about who gets to make decisions for your community.

What Does SB63 Do?

SB63 prohibits the use of Ranked Choice Voting in Ohio and threatens local governments with the loss of all Local Government Fund dollars if they adopt it.

But Ohio's Constitution also gives municipalities broad powers of local self-government. Questions remain about how SB63 can be applied when a charter municipality exercises those constitutional powers.

That's why this isn't just a fight about Ranked Choice Voting. It's a fight about Home Rule. And Ohio legislators setting a bad precedent.

What Is Home Rule?

Home Rule is the constitutional authority of Ohio municipalities to govern themselves on local matters.

Article XVIII of the Ohio Constitution gives municipalities the authority to exercise “all powers of local self-government.”

That principle matters whether or not you support Ranked Choice Voting. If the state can impose financial penalties whenever it disagrees with a community exercising its constitutional right to local self-government, is there really Home Rule in Ohio? And what local decisions could be next?

Help Ohio Communities Stand Up for Home Rule

We're working with local leaders and legal partners to challenge SB63 and protect the constitutional authority of Ohio communities.

You can help.

Ask your mayor, city council members, and law director to stand up for Home Rule and consider joining the effort to challenge SB63.

You can contact them directly or attend a city council meeting and speak during public comment. We've put together sample emails, talking points, and a short public-comment statement to make it easy.

TAKE ACTION TO DEFEND HOME RULE

You can also add your name to the growing list of Ohioans who believe decisions about local elections should remain in the hands of local communities.

SIGN THE PETITION TO DEFEND HOME RULE

Want to Learn More?

We've collected the legal background, history, research, news coverage, and arguments surrounding SB63 and Ranked Choice Voting for those who want to dig deeper.

SB63 & HOME RULE RESOURCES

cleveland.com/opinion/2023/07/ranked-choice-voting-works-in-some-other-states-in-ohio-its-fodder-for-a-publicity-stunt-editorial.html

wvxu.org/politics/2023-07-26/analysis-ohio-republicans-ban-rank-choice-voting

statenews.org/government-politics/2023-07-25/republican-lawmaker-proposes-stripping-money-from-ohio-communities-that-pass-ranked-choice-voting

cleveland.com/news/2023/07/could-ranked-choice-voting-promote-civil-discourse-of-course-theres-disagreement-over-it.html

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) isn't new to Ohio. RCV was used in five Ohio cities (Cleveland, Ashtabula, Toledo, Hamilton, and Cincinnati) between 1913 and 1960 before it became a victim of its own success – RCV led to more accurate representation for women and people of color, as well as a greater diversity of ideologies, before corrupt party bosses aligned with racist groups to repeal it.

Cleveland adopted a form of RCV for single-member ward seats in 1913 – then called the "preferential ballot" like in Australia, where RCV has been used since 1918. In 1915, Ashtabula became the first city in America to use RCV with multi-member districts to achieve proportional representation. Good governance groups like the League of Women Voters helped expand RCV to other cities. Cleveland's first women councilmembers were elected with RCV, as were the first Black councilmembers in Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Toledo. In Cincinnati, Ted Berry rose to prominence as a councilman under RCV, but party bosses and the KKK conspired to repeal RCV in attempt to stop Berry from becoming Cincinnati's first Black mayor. RCV was ahead of its time then, but Ohio can bring back RCV to achieve fair and responsive representation.

Ted Berry was elected to Cincinnati City Council under RCV, but his popularity led to racial backlash that was a major motivation for the repeal of RCV. Despite the setback, Berry was eventually elected as Cincinnati's first Black mayor, and he remained a lifelong supporter of RCV.

Marie Wing, an independent reform candidate, was one of the first women elected to Cleveland City Council. No woman had ever been elected in Cleveland before RCV. Eight women were elected over the course of just five elections that used RCV. After repeal, no women were elected for 18 years.

James B. Simmons Jr. was the first African American elected to Toledo City Council. He and Toledo's Black community were some of the strongest supporters of RCV and proportional representation until RCV was repealed.

You can learn more about the history of RCV in Ohio from:

FairVote: The Forgotten Results and Future Promise of Ranked Choice Voting in Ohio

Sightline: How Proportional Representation Gave American Voters Meaningful Representation in the 1900s

FairVote: Remembering the Legacy of Ted Berry

Ohio Libraries: Proportional Representation and Election Reform in Ohio by Kathleen L. Barber

Episode on "Ranked Choice Voting with Kyle Herman from Rank the Vote Ohio": audacy.com/podcast/united-she-stands-155ce/episodes/ranked-choice-voting-with-kyle-herman-from-rank-the-vote-ohio-efaef

toledoblade.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2023/05/05/to-the-editor-preserve-citizen-led-democracy/stories/20230505004

Coverage by the Chronicle-Telegram of our talk at Oberlin with the League of Women Voters: chroniclet.com/news/350096/league-of-women-voters-talk-ranked-choice-voting/

In Progress. Contact Denise Riley ([email protected]) to help!

Our executive director spoke on the panel about how Ranked Choice Voting can give all voters, including young voters, more accurate representation. Watch the video or listen to the podcast: https://www.cityclub.org/forums/2023/02/23/choice-matters-what-the-evolving-political-landscape-means-for-gen-z

We're looking for just the right person to join Rank The Vote Ohio as our part-time Deputy Director. Could it be you or someone you know?

Learn more about the position and how to apply.

RSVP for events on our calendar below or contact our organizers to get involved:

Cuyahoga County: Michelle B. Jackson ([email protected])

Summit County: Kyle Herman ([email protected])