Need to catch up before you vote? Here's our complete coverage, guide to May 2 election
Do you know who you're supporting in the upcoming primary election? Are you familiar with the candidates and issues on the ballot? Voters in Akron and Summit County will head to the polls on May 2.
Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. May 2. Early voting ends earlier this year on Sunday. Many Summit County polling places also have changed.
This is also the first Ohio election where voters must have a valid photo ID. Utility bills don't work anymore.
Here's a compilation of our coverage of Akron's hotly contested mayoral race, as well as issues and candidates on the ballot.
Interactive Voter Guide
If you click on the first link below, you can provide your address and see a customized ballot with your local races and issues only.
2023 Election: Summit County Voter Guide
Akron mayor campaigns set new fundraising, spending records for May primary election
The Akron mayor’s race is setting new spending records with the most expensive days yet to be counted.
With records now available for political activity in all but the last three weeks of the primary election, Ward 8 Councilman Shammas Malik and Deputy Mayor Marco Sommerville have each surpassed what Dan Horrigan spent eight years ago to win the city’s last open race for mayor.
Too close to call: These 3 candidates are in a virtual tie in the Akron mayoral race
Shammas Malik, Marco Sommerville and Tara Mosley are running neck-and-neck in the race for Akron mayor, according to a new poll.
A poll of registered and likely voters commissioned by the Akron Beacon Journal, Ideastream Public Media and the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron put Malik's support at 18.1%, Sommerville's at 17% and Mosley's at 15.2%. — a virtual tie inside the poll's 5 percentage point margin of error.
Two on campaign mailer say they actually aren't endorsing Marco Sommerville for Akron mayor
Two community leaders say they never gave permission to be pictured and named in a political ad endorsing Marco Sommerville for mayor of Akron.
The “We Endorse” advertisement from the Sommerville campaign was mailed by Cleveland-based Burges and Burges Strategists last week. Some Akron voters opened their mailboxes Friday to find the faces of 16 civic leaders and names of nearly every major labor union in Akron — all purportedly endorsing Sommerville.
Within hours, though, Ward 1 Councilwoman Nancy Holland and Love Akron Executive Director Kemp Boyd used their respective social media platforms to explain that, despite their appearance on the glossy political postcards, neither is endorsing anyone for mayor in the May 2 primary.
Who's behind the ads? Akron business leaders pour money into mayor, council races.
Has a postcard showed up in your Akron mailbox saying we all deserve to feel safe in our homes, schools and neighborhoods?
Or maybe it was an Instagram ad touting a slate of four Akron candidates − one for mayor, four for council − that could deliver the safety Akron voters have said they crave in a recent poll.
None of the candidates included − Marco Sommerville for mayor; James Hardy for City Council Ward 8; and Linda Omobien, Ginger Baylor and Jeff Fusco for council at-large − had anything to do with the ads. So who is behind the advertising?
Poll: Crime, Jayland Walker dominate public opinion in Akron mayor’s race
The people of Akron have spoken in an opinion poll released in February. And they’re ready for the change coming this election year.
The most important issues for Akronites can be grouped as economic or reform-minded, said John Green, director emeritus of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron. One category pertains to economic development — job creation, providing a safe environment — while the other dimension lumps policies that would deliver change, such as reforming police and giving citizens a greater voice in city government.
What Akron wants in a mayor and what the next mayor should do: By the numbers
The Akron Decides Poll released two months before the May 2 municipal primary in Akron asked residents to prioritize their concerns for the next mayor and consider what they're looking for in a candidate.
The poll used open-ended questions to gather all that's bothering residents and then asked them to prioritize lists of specific concerns to set an agenda for the next mayor.
This is what Akron said, in charts and graphs.
Akron mayoral candidates discuss police reform, school safety during debate
All seven candidates for Akron mayor discussed their plans and visions for the city in a debate in early April.
The candidates answered questions about their past job experiences that have made the city a better place; the Jayland Walker police shooting, police reform and public safety; past mistakes they've made; affordable housing issues; government transparency; and public education and school safety.
Q&A: 3 Barberton mayor candidates outline how they'd lead the Magic City
Three candidates for Barberton mayor are on the May 2 primary ballot, with the incumbent and two others who currently serve the community in an elected capacity all vying for the Magic City's top office this year.
On the Democratic side, Councilman Shaun "Rocky" Jaber is challenging three-term Mayor Bill Judge. For the Republicans, Megann Eberhart, a member of the Barberton Board of Education, is running unopposed and will face the winner of the Judge-Jaber race in the Nov. 7 general election.
VOTING RESOURCES
Who to vote for? Summit County Voter Guide has candidate information in their own words
This guide is a joint project of League of Women Voters of Akron and Hudson and the Akron Beacon Journal and was made possible through the support of the Knight Foundation.
Find your races
The following are the contested races on the May 2 ballot. To find out which are on your ballot, use the interactive guide.
Akron City Council Wards: Meet the candidates for Akron council's 10 ward seats
Akron City Council At-Large: 9 Democrats seek 3 nominations for Akron City Council At-Large
Akron Mayor: Meet 7 Democrats running for Akron mayor
Barberton Mayor and council: Here's who is running for Barberton mayor, council
Tallmadge City Council: 2 Republicans seek nomination for Tallmadge mayor
Tallmadge Mayor: Tallmadge council primaries contested in 2 wards
Here are the 15 tax and ballot issues on May 2 ballot
There are 15 ballot and tax issues on the May 2 ballot. Most of the tax issues are renewals, but voters are being asked to approve new or replacement funding in Coventry Township, Richfield Township, Mogadore and Springfield schools and the city of Reminderville.
Why did my Summit County polling place change? Everything to know about May 2 election
This is the first election since Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation that changed policies on mail-in voting, ballot drop boxes and more. Photo identification will be required to vote.
In Summit County, there are about 50 fewer precincts in this election after the board of elections in December approved a redrawing of the county's precinct boundaries.
Here's everything you need to know about the reprecincting; how, where and when to vote in Summit County; and what's on your ballot.
How do I look up my polling place and election precinct in Summit County?
To find your polling location, visit lookup.boe.ohio.gov/vtrapp/summit/pollfinder.aspx. To look up your voter information, visit lookup.boe.ohio.gov/vtrapp/summit/vtrlookup.aspx.
Do I need a photo ID to vote?
Yes. Under the state's new election law, voters are required to show photo ID at the polls.
OPINION
Endorsement: Shammas Malik offers a bold new approach for Akron
At a time when Akron is hurting from the police killing of Jayland Walker, many residents feel less safe or distrust the police and many are thinking about moving away, it’s time to give new voices an opportunity.
It’s a moment to start a new chapter in the city’s decades-long struggle to reinvent itself after its rubber industry heyday.
To us, there’s one candidate who stands above the rest, offering a bold departure from the established leadership lineage that’s dominated City Hall for decades and fallen out of step with the population it serves.
Guest column: 'I have the experience and the bold vision' to be Akron's mayor, Shammas Malik says
I am running for mayor of Akron because, after decades of slow but steady decline, our city desperately needs a bold vision for its future – rooted in safety, good schools, good jobs, and stable housing. My campaign’s Together for Akron plan is the strongest vision released by any of the candidates in this race. Without a clear vision for change, even the most well-intentioned and experienced public servant will be stuck in the mud, continuing to manage decline.
Guest column: ‘I can work with and for all Akron,’ writes mayoral candidate Marco Sommerville
Every step of the way, I have listened to and understood people’s needs, and acted to meet them with creativity, courage and compassion. Change is part of the process, so my administration cannot and will not be more of the same. Experience teaches the innovation that has marked my work for police accountability, education, job creation, community policing, medical debt relief, affordable housing, city planning, voting rights and so much more.
Guest column: 'I have a record of empowering people,' Akron mayoral candidate Tara Mosley writes
For decades, this city has been managing its decline. Over that time, we have never lacked for politicians crafting plans, making promises or casting visions for returning this city to its former glory. Still, despite our many plans, we have a city that is desperate for change because no one will do what this city needs — to return real, tangible political power to the people.
Guest column: Akron needs change guided by experience, creativity, says mayoral candidate Jeff Wilhite
To take Akron forward, we need change from the current leadership. We need transparency and a community engagement type of leadership. To achieve that, we need a mayor who will be guided by experience and one who has proven creative problem solving skills. I am that person to lead Akron forward.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron, Ohio, primary election 2023 complete coverage
