Here's our guide to the 2023 election in Summit County and Ohio Issue 1 and 2

Beacon Journal

Updated October 30, 2023 at 9:30 AM·5 min read

It's a local election year in Ohio as residents vote on candidates for school boards, councils and on issues, including statewide votes on abortion and recreational marijuana.

In this Voter Guide you'll find candidate responses in their own words and information on those ballot issues.

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.

Below you will find links to our interactive Voter Guide featuring unedited answers from participating candidates and coverage from our journalists that appears throughout the election.

What's on my ballot in Summit County? Get customized information for your address

Here's the easiest way to get specific local information. 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.

If you prefer to find your own races, scroll down lower on this page. Candidate responses are not edited or vetted by the League of Women Voters or Beacon Journal to allow them to speak in their own words.

Just enter your address: 2023 Summit County Voter Guide

Early voting in Summit County: When, where and how do you vote?

Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7.

Don't forget: Ohio voters need photo ID to cast in-person ballots for Nov. 7 election

Early voting continues until Nov. 5 at the Summit County Board of Elections, 500 Grant St., Akron. All election boards follow this early voting schedule: Oct. 30: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 31: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Nov. 1-3: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 4: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Nov. 5: 1 to 5 p.m.

Can I still register to vote in the Ohio elections?

No. Voter registration closed Oct. 10. You may still register for future elections.

Ohio Issue 1 — abortion

This November, Ohioans will vote on abortion, contraception and other reproductive decisions. The proposed amendment, called Issue 1 on the Nov. 7 ballot, would enshrine the right to an abortion in the state constitution up until viability, which is the point when a fetus can survive outside the uterus with reasonable measures. This is typically around 24 weeks gestation. Doctors could perform abortions after that point to save a pregnant patient's life or health.

Issue 1: What Ohioans need to know about November ballot issue on abortion

Why am I voting on Issue 1 again? An explanation of abortion on the Ohio ballot

Issue 1: Misinformation flows ahead of Ohio abortion vote. Some comes from a legislative website

This procedure is banned in the US: Why is it a hot topic in Ohio's abortion fight?

Ohio Issue 2 — recreational marijuana

Ohio voters will decide in November whether the state should legalize recreational marijuana. The proposal from the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol would establish a new government program with rules for buying, selling, smoking and growing adult-use cannabis. The Nov. 7 ballot measure is an initiated statute, not a constitutional amendment, meaning the Legislature could make adjustments if it passes.

Issue 2: What Ohioans need to know about November ballot issue to legalize recreational marijuana

Forum on Issue 2 Watch discussion on recreational marijuana issue