A charter amendment on the November ballot would align campaign finance reporting in Cincinnati with statewide rules.
Council member Evan Nolan says the rules in Cincinnati are more complex than in other parts of the state, and the reason behind these rules is no longer valid.
"It had to do with easier ways to track compliance with contribution limits, but because of the technology that we have today, particularly in the Office of Ethics and Good Governance, they are able to do that work without these separate reports," Nolan said.
Candidates for public office in Ohio are required to file several campaign finance reports, including annual, semi-annual, pre-general election, and post-election. Candidates for Cincinnati City Council and mayor also have to file a pre-election and a post-election report, and mayoral candidates also file an additional report if there's a primary election that year.
City-required reports may have the same deadline as state-required reports, but cover different time periods.
"When the reporting periods don't align, we have information being published after one reporting period that is then published again after a different reporting period," Nolan said. "Media has then reported on those as if they were separate reports, when in fact they were one in the same."
The charter amendment would align city reporting deadlines with the state deadlines; that means the Cincinnati Elections Commission would receive much more frequent campaign finance information for local candidates.
Nolan says the amendment also would increase access to the ballot for new candidates who may find the complicated reporting system confusing.
"My hope is that folks running for office are spending their time engaging with the community and focusing on policy and not worrying about these additional reporting requirements that really fail to add anything to the public good," Nolan said.
What you'll see on the ballot
This is the summary text of the charter amendment, which is all that will be included on ballot:
Shall the Charter of the City of Cincinnati be amended to (1) align the City's campaign finance reporting deadlines with those required by the State of Ohio, (2) adjust reporting periods to correspond with the timing of local elections, and (3) provide additional time to fill vacancies on the Cincinnati Elections Commission, by amending Sections 1, 2, and 4 of Article XIII, "Campaign Finance," of the Charter of the City of Cincinnati?
Full text of the charter amendment
Election information and deadlines
The deadline to register to vote in the November election is Oct. 6.
Early in-person voting begins Oct. 7. See a full schedule of early voting opportunities below.
The deadline to submit an absentee ballot application is Oct. 28.
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