Franklin County Issue 18 — Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment

What it does

Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment — Shall Section 3.01, Election and Term, of Article III, Mayor, be amended to eliminate the mayoral primary election when no more than two candidates have filed for the office of Mayor?

A YES vote means

Gahanna would not hold a mayoral primary election when no more than two candidates have filed for Mayor.

A NO vote means

Gahanna's charter rules on the mayoral primary election would not change.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

The 2026 Gahanna Charter Review Commission, a seven-member body appointed by Council and the Mayor, recommended this amendment among ten it transmitted to City Council on June 30, 2026; Council adopted the resolution placing it on the ballot on its consent agenda on July 20, 2026.

Under the current Charter, every candidate for Mayor must run in a nonpartisan primary, and the top two advance to the general election; the amendment would skip the primary when no more than two candidates file.

The Commission's stated reasoning is to eliminate an unnecessary primary, reducing administrative burden and costs, in line with Ohio Revised Code Section 3513.02 adapted to Gahanna's nonpartisan elections.

Put on the ballot by Gahanna City Council, July 20, 2026 (RES-0026-2026), on recommendation of the 2026 Charter Review Commission.

From official source 1, official source 2, official source 3.

Next elections here

• Columbus election 2027 · November 2, 2027: Mayor, City Auditor and City Council Districts 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9
• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on Franklin County ballots

• Franklin County Issue 19 — Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment
• Franklin County Issue 20 — Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment
• Franklin County Issue 21 — Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment
• Franklin County Issue 22 — Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment
• Franklin County Issue 23 — Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment
• Franklin County Issue 24 — Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment
• Franklin County Issue 25 — Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment
• Franklin County Issue 26 — Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment
• Franklin County Issue 27 — Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment
• Franklin County Issue 28 — Grove City – Proposed Charter Amendment (by petition)
• Franklin County Issue 34 — Upper Arlington – Proposed Tax Levy (Renewal and Increase)
• Franklin County Issue 35 — Worthington – Proposed Charter Amendment
• Franklin County Issue 36 — Worthington – Proposed Charter Amendment
• Franklin County Issue 37 — Worthington – Proposed Charter Amendment
• Franklin County Issue 38 — Worthington – Proposed Charter Amendment (by petition)
• Franklin County Issue 40 — Brown Township (unincorporated area) – Proposed Zoning Plan

All Franklin County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Franklin County Issue 18 mean?

Gahanna would not hold a mayoral primary election when no more than two candidates have filed for Mayor.

What does a NO vote on Franklin County Issue 18 mean?

Gahanna's charter rules on the mayoral primary election would not change.

How many votes does Franklin County Issue 18 need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on Franklin County Issue 18?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.