Ohio voters easily passed two statewide ballot measures while Cleveland voters turned down a ballot initiative to give residents a more direct say over millions in city spending. 

Voters supported Issue 1, adding reproductive rights to the state constitution, with 97% of the vote counted, according to the Ohio Secretary of State. Read Signal Cleveland’s Issue 1 coverage here.

Issue 2, legalizing recreational marijuana, passed with 94% of the vote in. Ohio is the 24th state – the 25th if the District of Columbia is included – to do so. Read Signal’s coverage of Issue 2 here.

Issue 38, known as the People’s Budget, failed by a small margin, according to unofficial results from the Cuyahoga Board of Elections. The charter amendment would have set aside an amount equal to 2% of the general operating budget – or around $14 million currently – to be spent according to a neighborhood voting system. 

Cleveland Council Member Danny Kelly will keep representing Ward 11 residents

Updated 11:25 p.m. | Dakotah Kennedy

Voters in Cleveland’s Ward 11 decided to keep Council Member Danny Kelly, who was appointed to the seat in January. Ward 11 includes parts of the Edgewater, Cudell, West Boulevard, Jefferson and Bellaire-Puritas neighborhoods. 

Kelly replaced Brian Mooney, who resigned after being elected to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. Kelly is a retired union laborer with Laborers Local 310. Before joining council, he worked with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District as a family and community engagement specialist and also rallied voters to pass several school levies. Kelly was the only City Council member on the ballot. He was leading by just over 61%, with the majority of votes in the ward counted at 11:25 p.m. His opponent, Michael Hardy, had 38.7% of votes.

A father of four, Kelly lives on Cleveland’s West Side in Ward 16, two blocks outside of the Ward 11 boundaries. The city charter does not require council members to live in the wards they represent – but if they do live in the ward, they forfeit their offices if they move out.

Election 2023: Voter turnout across Cuyahoga County and Cleveland

Tri-C President calls Issue 5

Updated 10:55 p.m. | Amy Morona

Cuyahoga County voters again showed their overwhelming support for the area’s community college on Nov. 7. 

Unofficial results show Cuyahoga Community College’s ask for a renewal tax levy and a small increase, appearing on ballots as Issue 5, was passing with about 61% of voters’ support.

Cleveland Municipal Clerk of Court’s Earle B. Turner holds wide lead over challenger in re-election bid

Updated 9:55 p.m. | Dakotah Kennedy|Stephanie Casanova|Candice Wilder

Longtime Cleveland Municipal Clerk of Courts Earle B. Turner appeared headed to an easy re-election Tuesday night, defeating Cleveland City Council Member Brian Kazy. 

With 14% percent of the vote counted, Turner was leading by 51 percentage points. 

Turner, a former Cleveland council member of 21 years, has been clerk since 1996.

The Clerk of Court’s office maintains records on all court cases filed in Cleveland Municipal Court. The office also collects and distributes fines and fees from those cases. 

Kazy was elected in 2015 to represent Ward 16, which includes the West Side neighborhoods of Bellaire-Puritas and West Park. Kazy will remain on council.