Ohio Activists Target Early Voting Sites to Push Property Tax Repeal Petition

CLEVELAND, Ohio — As early in‑person voting began on Oct. 7 for the 2025 general election, a Facebook post by “Citizens for Property Tax Reform” urged volunteers to visit county Boards of Elections (BOEs) and collect petition signatures, while maintaining a distance of 100 feet from polling entrances. That tactic aligns with state law but presents enforcement ambiguities, and local BOEs say so far they have received no formal complaints of violations.

A post shared by Steve Kay in the CPTR group directs supporters to “stop by your local board of elections” to gather signatures and cautions them to “stay 100 ft away from the polls.” Ohio’s rules bar campaigning, which includes petitioning, within a neutral zone around polling sites marked with small U.S. flags. The prohibition zone is defined in statute, enforced during early voting, and reinforced in BOE training materials.

Election officials interviewed across several counties confirmed that as of mid‑October 2025, they had not logged any formal complaints against petition circulators operating near BOE locations during early voting. Several said they monitor for potential encroachment on the 100‑foot zone, but that enforcement is largely reactive. In one medium‑sized county, staff said that while petitioners had been present outside the BOE entrance, none had crossed into flagged areas or caused disruption warranting official action. In smaller counties, BOE personnel said no petitioning had been visible near early voting sites, or that any activity remained well outside the neutral zone boundary.

BOE staff note challenges in consistently marking or enforcing the 100‑foot boundary, particularly on large BOE campuses or sites with multiple entrances. One elections director said the neutral zone may be mapped in staff guidance, but public visibility of the boundary is limited. A volunteer accidentally drifting inside the zone could raise objections, but no incidents of that kind have been formally recorded to date.

The post by CPTR reflects a broader strategy: directing volunteers to high‑traffic venues like BOE offices during early voting, and leveraging the neutral zone restrictions to remain technically in compliance. The group is attempting to capture signatures when voters are already onsite, maximizing exposure while avoiding direct violation of campaign rules.

CPTR aims to place a constitutional amendment before voters to abolish property taxes. The Ohio Ballot Board certified proposed amendment language in May 2025. But the group failed to meet the July 2025 signature deadline for the November 2025 ballot, forcing a shift toward a 2026 timetable. Some CPTR posts now suggest internal debate over whether to continue active ballot signing campaigns, indicating possible strategic shifts or uncertainty.

Signature validity under the 2026 push remains a key question. Initiatives must collect signatures across at least 44 counties, with a statewide threshold based on prior gubernatorial vote totals. Previous signatures collected under a 2025 timeline may not carry forward if petition formats or procedural rules change.

While CPTR’s tactic appears to operate within the legal framework, the lack of aggressive enforcement or visible challenges from BOEs suggests the approach is tolerated so far. Whether any county will record violations as the drive intensifies later this cycle remains to be seen.

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