Miami County Voter Guide: Candidates and Issues on the Nov. 3, 2026, Ballot

Compiled and edited by This Local Life, fact-checked by Claude Opus. Sources, besides the Miami County BOE, linked below this article
TROY - Miami County voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, to decide a range of federal, state and local races, along with tax levies and other ballot issues. Piqua voters will also have a separate special election the same day to decide whether to recall three city commissioners.

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   The decisions made this fall will affect everything from state and national representation to local government services, parks, schools, fire protection and mental health programs. Here is a guide to the candidates and issues voters may encounter, along with brief explanations of what is at stake.

   Ballots vary by address. Voters should check their individual sample ballot through the Miami County Board of Elections to confirm which races and issues apply to them.
 

Federal Races

U.S. Senate

   Ohio voters will choose a U.S. senator in a special election between Republican incumbent Jon Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown. Husted was appointed to the seat in 2025 after JD Vance became vice president. The winner will serve the remainder of the term, which ends in January 2029. Senators vote on federal legislation, spending, judicial appointments and other national issues.
 

U.S. House of Representatives, 8th District

   Republican incumbent Warren Davidson faces Democrat Vanessa Enoch. The district includes Butler, Darke and Preble counties and part of Miami County. Members of the U.S. House vote on federal legislation, taxation, spending and national policy.

U.S. House of Representatives, 15th District

   Republican incumbent Mike Carey faces Democrat Don Leonard and Libertarian Brennan Barrington. Under Ohio’s new congressional map, the 15th District includes most of Miami County, along with parts of Franklin, Clark, Fayette, Madison and Shelby counties. Voters should check their address to confirm which congressional district appears on their ballot.

Statewide Races

Governor and Lieutenant Governor

   Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and running mate Rob McColley, president of the Ohio Senate, face Democrat Amy Acton and running mate David Pepper, a former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party. Libertarian Don Kissick and running mate James L. Mills are also on the ballot. Gov. Mike DeWine is term-limited. The governor and lieutenant governor help set state policy, oversee state agencies and work with lawmakers on the state budget.

Ohio Attorney General

   Republican Keith Faber faces Democrat John J. Kulewicz. The attorney general serves as Ohio’s chief legal officer, representing the state in legal matters and overseeing functions that include consumer protection and certain criminal investigations.
 

Ohio Auditor of State

   Republican Frank LaRose faces Democrat Annette Blackwell. The auditor examines the finances of state agencies and local governments and investigates allegations of financial misconduct.
 

Ohio Secretary of State

   Republican Robert Sprague faces Democrat Allison Russo and Libertarian Tom Pruss. The secretary of state oversees Ohio’s elections, administers business filings and maintains official state records.
 

Ohio Treasurer of State

   Republican Jay Edwards faces Democrat Seth Walsh. The treasurer manages state funds and oversees financial functions involving public money.

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Ohio Supreme Court

   Voters will fill two seats on the Ohio Supreme Court, each for a six-year term. In one race, Democratic Justice Jennifer Brunner faces Republican Colleen O’Donnell, a former Franklin County Common Pleas judge. In the other, Republican Justice Dan Hawkins faces Democrat Marilyn Zayas, a judge on the 1st District Court of Appeals. The court is Ohio’s highest judicial authority and rules on questions involving state law and the Ohio Constitution.

Ohio General Assembly

Ohio Senate, 5th District

   Republican Phil Plummer faces Democrat Jeffrey Harris of Troy for the open seat. Plummer represents the 39th District in the Ohio House and is a former Montgomery County sheriff. The district includes all of Miami and Preble counties and parts of Montgomery, Darke and Butler counties. Senators debate and vote on state legislation, budgets, taxes and public policy.
 

Ohio House, 80th District

   Republican incumbent Johnathan Newman faces Democrat Katie Koehler Wagner. The district includes all of Miami County and southern Darke County. State representatives introduce and vote on legislation affecting education, local government, public safety, taxes and other state issues.

Miami County Government

Miami County Commissioner

   Republican incumbent Ted Mercer, seeking a third term, faces Democrat William Whitten for a four-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2027. County commissioners oversee county government operations, approve budgets, manage county property and make decisions affecting county services and development.
 

Countywide Issues

Miami County Park District levy

   The Miami County Park District is asking voters to approve a new 10-year, 1.4-mill operating levy. Park officials say it would replace the district’s existing 1.5-mill operating levy, which commissioners have pledged not to collect if the new levy passes.

   The new levy is estimated to cost about $49 a year per $100,000 of market value. The money would fund maintenance and improvements at county parks and nature preserves, educational programming and conservation efforts.

Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services levy

   Voters countywide will consider the five-year renewal of a 0.6-mill levy that funds the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services for alcohol, drug addiction and mental health programs. The levy is expected to generate about $2.6 million a year and would cost about $10 a year per $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value. Because it is a renewal, it would not raise taxes.
 

Local Issues

Bethel Township Fire District One

   Voters in Bethel Township Fire District One will consider the renewal of a 4.9-mill levy for fire and emergency medical services.

Concord Township

   Concord Township voters will consider the renewal of a 3.7-mill levy for fire and emergency medical services.

Monroe Township Fire District One

   Voters in Monroe Township Fire District One will consider a 6-mill levy for fire and emergency medical services. The measure would renew an existing 4-mill levy and add 2 mills, raising taxes for property owners in the district.

Monroe Township

   Monroe Township voters will consider the renewal of a 0.5-mill levy that supports Tipp Monroe Community Services and its recreation and enrichment programs.

Village of Casstown

   Casstown voters will consider the renewal of a 0.3-mill levy for general operating expenses.

Troy City Schools

   Troy City School District voters will consider the renewal of a five-year, 5.8-mill operating levy that pays for day-to-day school operations. Because it is a renewal, approval would not increase property taxes. Voters rejected the same renewal in May, the first time the levy had failed since it was first approved in 1996.

Piqua Data Center Charter Amendment

   Piqua voters will decide a proposed amendment to the city charter that would prohibit data center construction in the city. Save Piqua, a resident group opposed to the Meta data center project the city commission approved in November 2025, placed the measure on the ballot by petition. A yes vote supports the ban; a no vote opposes it. This issue appears on the regular general election ballot.
 

Piqua Special Election: Commissioner Recalls

   Piqua voters will also decide, in a separate special election, whether to recall three city commissioners:

• Mayor James D. Vetter, Ward 1

• William Frederick Walker Jr., Ward 3

• Vice Mayor Frank DeBrosse, Ward 5

   The recall effort grew out of opposition to the Meta data center project. Petitioners have raised concerns about public health, safety and welfare, while the three commissioners have publicly supported the project.

   Each recall appears as a separate question. Voters will also choose successor candidates for each seat, who would take office if the incumbent is recalled. All Piqua voters may vote on all three recalls and successor races, regardless of which ward they live in.

   The special election uses a separate ballot. At Piqua’s three polling locations on Election Day, and during early in-person voting at the Board of Elections, voters must check in separately for each election and complete one ballot before checking in for the other. Voters may choose to vote in one election or both. Residents voting absentee by mail must submit a separate application for the special election by 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27.

 

State Issue 3: Voter Identification Amendment

   Ohio voters will decide a proposed amendment that would add the state’s photo identification requirement for voting to the Ohio Constitution. Ohio has required photo identification to vote in person under state law since 2023, so the amendment would not immediately change how Ohioans vote. It would make the requirement harder for lawmakers to change or repeal in the future.

   The proposal would define acceptable identification, including an unexpired Ohio driver’s license or state identification card, a U.S. passport or passport card, and specified military identification cards. It would also allow state law to provide an alternative way of verifying identity for voters with a sincere religious objection to being photographed, and it addresses rules for voters who cast ballots without appearing in person.
 

   A yes vote supports the amendment; a no vote opposes it. A majority affirmative vote is required for adoption. Issue 3 is the only statewide ballot issue this year.
 

Check Your Individual Ballot

   The races and issues listed here are not the same for every Miami County voter. Municipal boundaries, school districts, congressional and state legislative districts, and precinct assignments can affect which contests appear on an individual ballot.
 

   For the most complete and current information, visit the Miami County Board of Elections. Voters can use the board’s candidate filing database, questions and issues database and voter lookup tools to confirm their ballot.

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   Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.