Good evening!
Voting in Summit County went fairly smoothly today with the exception of a short-lived issue with a computer system verifying some voter signatures. Those voters were asked to complete provisional ballots.
The signature verification issue was resolved, said Pete Zeigler, deputy director for the Summit County Board of Elections.
Here are some of the results so far:
Akron Board of Education candidates who signed Moms for Liberty pledge lose
The two Akron Board of Education candidates who signed the Moms for Liberty parent pledge — Cynthia D. Blake and Carla Jackson — were not elected on Tuesday night.
The four winners in the race were incumbent Gregory Harrison and newcomers Nathan Jarosz, Karmaya Kelly and Phil Montgomery.
Jackson, the current school board president, finished sixth out of eight candidates. Blake finished eighth.
They both recently signed the Moms for Liberty’s parent pledge, which states they will honor the “fundamental rights of parents,” such as the right to direct the education, medical care, and moral upbringing of their children. The pledge also states signees will support policies that strengthen parental involvement and decision-making, increase transparency and defend against government overreach.
Both Jackson and Blake say they support the principles of the parent pledge but not the extremist rhetoric or actions that have been associated with the group’s national reputation.
Summit County ADM scores another levy victory
The Summit County ADM board continued its streak of winning levies when voters overwhelmingly approved Issue 1 in the Nov. 4 general election.
The levy renewal and increase passed with nearly 57% of the vote, according to unofficial election results.
This time, ADM requested a renewal, as well as an additional .5 mills that leaders said was needed to meet a demand for recovery services that has continued to increase since the COVID-19 pandemic.
-Stephanie Warsmith
Barberton clerk race tight late into the evening
The race for Barberton clerk is still a dead heat with current clerk Katie Reed now narrowly leading challenger Matt Shaughnessy with 50.8% of the vote. That’s with 20 of 32 polling places reporting. This one could come down to the final precincts rolling in.
Summit County ADM appears poised for another levy victory
With early votes and most polling place results counted in the Nov. 4 general election, the board’s levy was winning by more than 57% of the vote, according to unofficial election results.
The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services board garnered more than 68% of the vote in its last two levy requests, but these were both renewals of the 2.95-mill levy that the agency has long had in place for operations.
This time, ADM requested a renewal, as well as an additional .5 mills that leaders said was needed to meet a demand for recovery services that has continued to increase since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The request was made at a time when property taxes are under increased scrutiny and many in the community are struggling because of higher prices and the federal government shutdown.
The agency’s leaders emphasized that most people have been impacted by addiction or mental health issues or know someone who has. “Someone you know is struggling. Together we can help,” said one of the ADM board’s mailers. It featured a smiling photo of a woman saying the ADM board “turned my life around.”
— Stephanie Warsmith
Cuyahoga Falls schools renewal levy passing
Issue 52 for the Cuyahoga Falls schools is a 9.97-mill renewal levy which will continue to collect nearly $7.4 million annually for the district’s operating budget, with the voters in the district giving it the green light. The district includes part of Cuyahoga Falls and Silver Lake. It would cost property owners $191 for each $100,000 of the Summit County Fiscal Office’s appraised value.
The levy, according to the district, was first approved in 1991 and is set to expire Dec. 31.
With 15 of 16 precincts counted, the renewal levy is passing, with 62.5% voting for and 37.5% voting against, according to the results so far from the Summit County Board of Elections.
— April Helms
Springfield schools passing its two renewal levies
Voters in the Springfield school district are passing its two renewal levies, Issues 55 and 56, with eight of its 12 precincts counted, according to the Summit County Board of Elections.
Issue 55 is a 5-year, 2.57-mill levy that would, if again approved, generate $1.5 million for the district annually, and cost property owners about $79 per year for each $100,000 of the Summit County Fiscal Office’s appraised value.
Issue 55 is passing in Summit County, with 54.78% voting for and 45.22% voting against. In Portage County, where the levy is listed as Issue 29, there have been 32 ballots cast for and 54 against the levy.
Issue 56 is a 5-year 1.8-mill levy which, if passed, would generate $302,430 annually, and would cost property owners $12 a year for each $100,000 of the Summit County Fiscal Office’s appraised value.
With eight of 12 precincts counted, Issue 56 is passing, with 57.63% voting for the levy and 42.37% voting against. In Portage County, where this is listed as Issue 28, 34 votes have been cast for the levy and 51 against.
Tallmadge schools renewal levy passes, new levy fails
Voters in the Tallmadge City Schools have passed Issue 53, a 7.5-mill continuing renewal levy, but turned down Issue 54, an additional continuing 5.7-mill levy, according to the final but unofficial results.
Issue 53, the district’s renewal levy will continue to collect a little more than $3 million a year. According to the Tallmadge schools, this levy was last renewed in 2016. It would cost property owners $131 for each $100,000 of the Summit County Fiscal Office’s appraised value.
With all five precincts counted, the renewal levy narrowly passed in Summit County, with 51.29% voting for and 48.71% voting against. In Portage County, where it is listed as Issue 26, 36 votes have been cast for and 46 votes against the levy.
Issue 54 would have added nearly $3.8 million annually to the Tallmadge district’s operating budget. According to the Tallmadge schools, the last time Tallmadge voters approved new operating funds was in 2019. The levy would have cost property owners about $200 annually for each $100,000 of the Summit County Fiscal Office’s appraised value.
With all five precincts counted, 65.36% of voters cast ballots against the levy, and 34.64% voting for. In Portage County, where this was listed as Issue 25, 24 cast votes for the levy and 58 against.
— April Helms
3 Summit County community tax levies face mixed bag of results
Voters in a handful of Summit County communities went to the polls Nov. 4 with choices to make about tax levies.
Norton, Boston Township and Springfield Township placed new taxes on their ballot. Other communities weighed renewal or replacement of existing levies.
By 8:20 p.m., early voters approved Norton’s Issue 41 by a 122-to-104 vote margin. Hours later, the measure faced a reversal of fortune. With two of Norton’s five polling places reporting in, voters were rejecting the renewal of a 5.6-mill tax, and 3-mill increase, for fire department and emergency medical services 467 to 312.
In Boston Township, Issue 46 was losing with nine voters for the measure and 10 opposed. The tide turned around 9:45 p.m. when the township’s single polling place reported that 53.06% of voters approved the measure, passing it 104 to 92.
Springfield Township’s Issue 50 was failing early with 153 no votes versus 86 votes in favor. As the evening wore on, voters closed the gap to 1,215 votes against versus 1,051 in favor with three of its four polling places reporting in.
— Derek Kreider
Summit County ADM levy, Issue 1, leaning toward a win
The Summit County ADM board asked voters to approve Issue 1, a 3.45-mill renewal and additional levy, in the Nov. 4 election.
With absentee and about 25% of poll results in, the levy was winning with about 60% of the vote, according to unofficial election results.
The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services board garnered more than 68% of the vote in its last two levy requests, but these were both renewals of the 2.95-mill levy that the agency has long had in place for operations.
This time, ADM requested a renewal, as well as an additional .5 mills that leaders said is needed to meet a demand for recovery services that has continued to increase since the COVID-19 pandemic. The request was made at a time when property taxes are under increased scrutiny and many in the community are struggling because of higher prices and the federal government shutdown.
The agency’s leaders emphasized that most people have been impacted by addiction or mental health issues or know someone who has. “Someone you know is struggling. Together we can help,” said one of the ADM board’s mailers. It featured a smiling photo of a woman saying the ADM board “turned my life around.
–Stephanie Warsmith
Summit County Issue 2 appears headed for victory
Barring an eleventh hour reversal, Issue 2 appears to have the Summit County electorate’s overwhelming support.
As of 10:20 p.m., Summit County voters have seemingly catapulted a proposed charter amendment to victory on Nov. 4 by a 79.77% to 20.23% margin.
Issue 2 will limit how much money the county can collect for criminal justice and public safety support, said Brian Nelsen, Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro’s chief of staff.
The measure is designed to shield property owners from major rate increases on at least a portion of their property tax bill when their home valuations rise.
Absentee voters boosted the amendment to an early lead that hardly wavered as the Summit County Board of Elections continued tallying votes.
By the time 82% of Summit County’s 157 polling places had reported in, the amendment had 66,711 votes to the opposition’s 16,920 votes.
–Derek Kreider
Akron school board race remains tight with 35% of votes counted
Unofficial election results show school board member Gregory Harrison and three newcomers are leading in the race for four seats on the Akron school board.
With 35% of Akron’s precincts counted, unofficial election results show that Phil Montgomery, Summit County’s finance and budget director with two children in Akron Public Schools, has captured nearly 18% of the roughly 33,300 votes counted so far.
Karmaya Kelly, a first-time political candidate who returned home to Akron a year ago, has garnered 15.3%. Harrison, who was appointed to the board in October 2024, is close behind her with 15.1% of the vote, followed by nonprofit leader Nathan Jarosz with 14.3%.
Other candidates include Gwen Bryant, a national education consultant, who has received 11.7% of the votes counted so far; school board president Carla Jackson with 9.9%; school board member Diana Autry with 8.7%; and retired banker Cynthia Blake with 7.6%.
While the board is nonpartisan, a candidate’s political affiliation also appears to have played a role, as Democratic organizations and leaders heavily backed the four candidates leading in the polls.
The four candidates also were endorsed by Akron school board members Barbara Sykes and Rene Molenaur and the Akron Education Association, which represents Akron Public Schools’ licensed and certificated employees.
— Kelli Weir
With 25% of Summit County precincts reporting, Issue 2 on track to pass
Summit County voters went to the polls Nov. 4 to decide whether to green light a proposed charter amendment designed to shield property owners from major rate increases on at least a portion of their tax bill when their home valuations rise.
Issue 2 would would limit how much money the county can collect for criminal justice and public safety support, said Brian Nelsen, Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro’s chief of staff.
Shortly before 9 p.m., with 3% of polling places reporting and absentee ballots counted, the measure was on track to passage with 11,206 yes votes to 2,374 no votes.
By 9:40 p.m., the margin had increased to 29,958 yes votes to 6,860 no votes with 25% of polling places reporting in.
–Derek Kreider
Cincinnati mayor wins reelection, defeating JD Vance’s half brother, AP reports
Aftab Pureval won reelection as mayor of Cincinnati on Tuesday, defeating Cory Bowman, a Republican who is Vice President JD Vance’s half-brother.
The Associated Press called the race at 8:13 p.m.
Pureval was first elected mayor in 2021. The office is officially nonpartisan, but his party preference is Democratic.
Pureval won the all-party municipal primary in May with more than 80% of the vote. Prior to running for mayor, he worked as a lawyer.
Akron School Board race too close to call yet
The race for Akron Public Schools board of education is closely divided in early voting returns.
With 4% of the vote counted, five of eight candidates were in double digits.
Incumbent Greg Harrison and newcomers Nathan R. Jarosz, Karmaya Kelly, Gwen Bryant and Phil Montgomery were leading the pack.
Kelly so far has best numbers, garnering about 18 percent of the vote, but 96% of votes have yet to be counted.
Issues 1 & 2 winning as Summit County vote totals begin to trickle in
Summit County election results started coming in just after 8 p.m.
With about 4% of votes tallied, Issues 1 and 2 are both passing.
The Summit County ADM board asked voters to approve Issue 1, a 3.45-mill renewal and additional levy. The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services board garnered more than 68% of the vote in its last two levy requests, but these were both renewals of the 2.95-mill levy that the agency has long operated under. This time, ADM requested a renewal, as well as an additional .5 mills that leaders said is needed to meet a demand for recovery services that has continued to increase since the COVID-19 pandemic.
So far, about 64% of voters have voted in favor of Issue 1.
Issue 2 – a proposed charter amendment designed to shield property owners from major rate increases on at least a portion of their tax bill when their valuations rise – was also passing during initial results, with about 83% of the votes.
When will Summit County voting results start coming in?
Polls in Ohio close at 7:30 p.m.
Results will take time to count.
The earliest results posted are usually made up of votes cast early at boards of election and votes cast by absentee ballots.
Votes cast today take longer to calculate, particularly if there’s a few precincts lagging behind others.
We’ll continue to update results and they trickle in.
Nationwide exit polls reveal some of what’s on voters’ minds Nov. 4
NBC News is reporting what’s on voter’s minds in some states with high-profile races outside of Ohio.
Exit polls show, for example, show that New Jersey and Virginia voters have different priorities.
In New Jersey, taxes were the most important issue, noted by 36% of voters, followed by the economy at 34%. Of those, 42% said the economy “not so good,” followed by 26% who said the economy “pretty good, NBC reported.
In Virginia, nearly half of voters – 49% – said the economy was the most important issue, followed by healthcare being the second most important for 21%. Of those voters, 62% said they’re buying powers was holding steady, 24% were falling behind and 12% said they were getting ahead, NBC reported.
Exit polls also asked people in Virginia, New Jersey, New York City and California whether they approve or disapprove of President Donald J. Trump.
Trump was underwater across the board, NBC reported.
In Virginia, 31% approved of the president while 56% disapproved.
In New Jersey, the gap was narrower: 43% approved of Trump while 55% disapproved.
New York City voters gave Trump, a former resident, the worst marks, with only 29% of voters approving, while 69% disapproved.
In California, where Trump began his aggressive immigration enforcement, 36% of voters approved of Trump, while 63% disapproved.
Republican Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio responded to similar exit poll data on CNN, saying there would only be one major takeaway from tonight’s election results: New York City’s embrace of mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
“They’re going to elect a socialist,” Jordan said.
Socialists advocate for a state takeover of the economy. Mamdani, however, is a democratic socialist. Democratic socialists operate within democratic structure to implement policies like universal healthcare to create a more equitable society.
Jordan told CNN he visited Russia for a sports’ competition and noticed there was no bread on the grocery shelves, saying that’s what socialism brings.
Russia is not a socialist country. It’s an authoritarian political system where power is concentrated in the hands of President Vladimir Putin.
The former U.S.S.R, of which Russia was a part, was a socialist nation until its collapse in 1991.
School board candidate asked to leave polling site in Southern Ohio
A local school board candidate who routinely works at the polls on election day in Bulter County was asked to leave today.
Under Ohio law, candidates for office can work the polls, but not at polling sites where people may be voting for or against them.
It wasn’t immediately clear who raised the issue about Thomas Heisler, who is running for Talawanda school board near Oxford, working at a local poll. He did not immediately return a reporter’s call.
The Butler County Board of Elections issued a statement saying the incident is under review and “corrective actions are being implemented.”
−The Cincinnati Enquirer
Signature verification issues at Akron polling locations resolved
A small number of polling locations in Akron were having issues with the system verifying some voters’ signatures Tuesday morning, which resulted in workers asking these voters to complete provisional ballots.
The signature verification issue has been resolved, and no voters are being asked to fill out these ballots, Pete Zeigler, deputy director for the Summit County Board of Elections, confirmed.
“We’ve instructed our workers to compare [the signatures] to the paper poll books so if the signatures match, they can continue to vote with the regular ballots,” Zeigler said. “So this issue has been resolved in the short term and we are waiting to hear back from the vendor to get a database update to solve this issue entirely.”
“At this point there should be no more provisional ballots except for those voters who have to vote provisional for other reasons,” he said.
-Anthony Thompson
You can help us cover the election
If you see something interesting or newsworthy while casting your ballot, please email us at bjnews@thebeaconjournal.com. To make sure your email is seen quickly, please include the phrase “Election Day news tip” in the subject line of the email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached, along with the polling location and a brief description of what you saw or experienced.
Some Summit County voters have new polling place for the Nov. 4 general election
Ahead of the upcoming general election, the Summit County Board of Elections announced several more changes to polling places.
Is yours on the list? Check here.
Where do I vote? How to find your polling location
Registered voters can find their correct polling location for the Nov. 4 general election by visiting the Board of Elections website here.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Election Day 2025 is here. Get the latest updates, results from Summit County and Ohio
Reporting by Amanda Garrett, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
