Columbus City Council election results

No City Council seats were on the ballot. Columbus voters approved two charter amendments on how City Council is elected. Both take effect: when it placed Issue 9 on the ballot, Council found that the two do not conflict (Ordinance 2355-2026, Section 5).

Election date: 2026-11-03

Citywide totals: the sum of the Franklin, Delaware and Fairfield County boards' election-night unofficial results (the Franklin County Board's unofficial report covers only the Franklin County part of Columbus). The certified citywide totals will replace these after the official canvass.

Sources: Franklin County BOE — unofficial results, Franklin County portion (report of Nov. 4, 2026, 12:13 p.m.); Delaware County BOE — unofficial canvass (Nov. 3, 2026, 10:30 p.m.); Fairfield County BOE — unofficial canvass (Nov. 3, 2026, 11:59 p.m.)

Second district election cycle. Districts 1, 3, 4, and 7 on ballot — the four members who drew 2-year terms in the January 2024 lot drawing.

Election date: 2025-11-04

Source: Franklin County Board of Elections — official results, Most Populous summary (citywide, including the Delaware and Fairfield County parts of Columbus)

First Columbus City Council district elections under the 2018 charter amendment. All nine seats filled simultaneously. All Columbus voters voted in all nine races.

Election date: 2023-11-07

In January 2024, council members drew lots to determine initial term lengths. Districts 1, 3, 4, 7 drew 2-year terms (up for re-election in 2025). Districts 2, 5, 6, 8, 9 drew 4-year terms (up in 2027). All future terms are 4 years.

Source: Franklin County Board of Elections — certified Official Canvass

Districts 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9 are on the ballot. Under the charter amendments approved on November 3, 2026, each of these races is decided only by the voters who live in that district. The ballot also includes the first two of four new at-large seats, elected by voters citywide; those members take office in January 2028, when council grows to 11. The current district map is used in 2027; the redrawn map first applies in the 2029 elections.

Thinking about running? How to run for City Council in 2027 covers who can run, petitions and deadlines.

Source: Franklin County Board of Elections — 2027 Primary and General Election Schedules (published Sept. 2026). The Board’s schedules were published before the November 2026 vote and don’t yet reflect the amendments (they list no at-large seats). Voter-registration and early-voting dates will be added from the Ohio Secretary of State’s 2027 calendar when it is published.

Register to vote: Ohio Secretary of State

Find your district: City of Columbus district and area commission lookup

Board of Elections: Franklin County Board of Elections

Running for council: Under the amended charter, district candidates need at least 150 signatures from voters in their district and must have lived in the district for at least one year before the primary; at-large candidates need at least 250 signatures from voters citywide. The Franklin County Board of Elections handles petitions and filing; its 2027 schedule, published before the vote, still lists the earlier 250-signature requirement for district candidates, so confirm current requirements with the Board. Read the full guide to running in 2027 →