OFFICIAL INDEX
Franklin County 2026 election information
Official landing page for the certified General Election questions and amendment texts.
Open the election information pageSOURCES AND QUALIFICATIONS
How the guide was verified
These are the documents and factual conclusions used in the infographic. Accessed October 14, 2026. This record does not endorse either proposal.
Official election documents
ISSUE 8
City Council District Elections (By Petition)
Certified full text of the proposed charter amendment.
Read the Issue 8 amendmentISSUE 9
City Council District and At-Large Elections, Other Reforms Complement
Certified full text of the proposed charter amendment.
Read the Issue 9 amendmentVerified effects
ISSUE 8
Nine district-elected members
- Council remains at nine members.
- Each member is elected only by voters in that member's district.
- District-member recall petitions and elections are limited to that district's voters.
- No citywide seats or early redistricting are added.
ISSUE 9
Nine district plus four citywide members
- Nine district members are elected by their respective districts.
- Two citywide seats are elected in 2027 and begin serving in 2028; two more are elected in 2029 and begin serving in 2030.
- Districting begins with a commission appointed in 2027; the new boundaries are used in the 2029 elections.
- The largest-to-smallest district population gap changes from 1% to 7.5%.
- District candidate petitions change from 250 to 150 signatures.
- Recall, quorum, and voting thresholds adjust for the new structure.
Current system
Columbus has nine residential council districts. Members must live in the districts they represent, but every Columbus voter may vote for all nine seats across staggered elections.
City of Columbus council district overviewIndependent cross-check
WOSU's September 28, 2026 explainer was used to cross-check the four ballot combinations, the 2028 and 2030 phase-in, the early-redistricting sequence, and the 2025 District 7 context. It reports that YES/YES produces essentially the same council structure as NO/YES: nine district seats plus four phased-in citywide seats.
Read the WOSU explainerWording qualifications
- Phase-in: Two citywide members are elected in 2027 and begin serving in 2028; two more are elected in 2029 and begin serving in 2030.
- Redistricting: The Issue 9 commission is appointed in 2027; the current map remains for the 2027 election, and new boundaries are used in 2029.
- Staggered elections: “Five council races” was removed from the graphic because district and citywide contests do not all occur on one ballot.
- Recalls: Both amendments use district-based recalls for district members. Issue 9 also provides citywide recalls for citywide members.
- District boundaries: Issue 8 does not create an early-redistricting process. Ordinary post-census and legal adjustments still apply.
- Population standard: The 7.5% figure is the maximum difference between the largest and smallest district.
- Equal authority: Citywide and district members are legislative peers; neither group supervises the other.