Franklin County Issue 20 — Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 4:07 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026 · Gahanna voters

What it does
Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment — Shall Section 4.02, Composition and Term, of Article IV, The Council, be amended to revise the process for adjusting ward boundaries to base it on federal decennial census population data and specified population disparity criteria?
A YES vote means
Gahanna would adjust ward boundaries based on federal census population data and set population disparity criteria.
A NO vote means
Gahanna's current process for adjusting ward boundaries 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

Explained

Today

  • Gahanna's City Council has seven members: four elected from wards and three elected at large, all for four-year terms.
  • The Charter says ward boundaries are to be balanced "to the extent practicable based on numbers of registered voters," set by ordinance taking effect 60 days before the petition filing deadline for ward elections.

If it passes

  • Ward boundaries would be balanced based on population as determined by the federal decennial census, instead of registered voters, beginning in 2030.
  • Boundaries would be rebalanced only if there is a population difference of 20% or more between the largest and smallest wards.
  • Boundaries would still be set by ordinance taking effect 60 days before the filing deadline. The number of wards, at-large seats and terms would not change.

Who would notice

Gahanna residents and voters, whose ward lines could shift after a census, and candidates for ward Council seats. It has no tax effect.

How it got here

Recommended by the 2026 Charter Review Commission, which said the purpose is to move ward balancing "from a registered-voter basis to a resident-population basis" using 10-year census data and to set criteria for when boundaries need rebalancing. Council placed it on the ballot by Resolution RES-0028-2026, passed July 20, 2026.

Written by SpectrumVote from 3 linked sources (1, 2, 3). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

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.

The Charter now requires Council ward boundaries to be balanced, as far as practicable, by the number of registered voters; the amendment would base them on population from the federal decennial census beginning in 2030.

Under the proposed text, boundaries would be redrawn only if the population difference between the largest and smallest wards is 20% or more, according to the Commission's Exhibit A.

Put on the ballot by Gahanna City Council, July 20, 2026 (RES-0028-2026), on recommendation of the 2026 Charter Review Commission.

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

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Franklin County Issue 20 mean?
Gahanna would adjust ward boundaries based on federal census population data and set population disparity criteria.
What does a NO vote on Franklin County Issue 20 mean?
Gahanna's current process for adjusting ward boundaries would not change.
Would ward lines change right away?
No. Population-based balancing would begin with the 2030 federal census, and only if the largest and smallest wards differ in population by 20% or more.
What is the difference between counting registered voters and population?
Registered voters counts only people signed up to vote; census population counts all residents. The Commission described the change as moving to a resident-population basis.
How many votes does Franklin County Issue 20 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 20?
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.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the Franklin County ballot.

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