Lakewood, Ohio Public Records

Registration requires a valid Ohio driver's license or state ID number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. The city holds municipal elections in odd-numbered years for Mayor and City Council. The mayoral term runs four years, with the next election set for November 2025. City Council comprises seven at-large members serving staggered four-year terms, also elected in odd years. Four council seats appear on the 2025 ballot. Candidate information, sample ballots, and local measures can be found through the Board of Elections website and lakewoodoh.gov. Residents can look up their assigned polling place at lookup.boe.cuyahogacounty.gov by entering name and date of birth or street address. Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3503 and 3505, voter registration lists are public records open to inspection, and the Board of Elections publishes precinct-level results after each election. Campaign finance reports for local candidates must be filed with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and remain available for public review. Candidate filing documents, petition signatures, and financial disclosures are likewise public. During the November 2024 presidential election, Cuyahoga County reported approximately 65-68% turnout, with over 540,000 ballots cast from roughly 820,000 registered voters. For the November 3, 2026 general election, residents will decide several major races. Ohio will hold elections for Governor (incumbent Mike DeWine's term expires), all statewide executive offices including Attorney General, Secretary of State, Auditor, and Treasurer, the entire Ohio House of Representatives (all 99 seats), and approximately half of the Ohio Senate seats (odd-numbered districts). A U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Sherrod Brown or J.D. Vance may appear on the ballot depending on the election cycle. The county will elect various offices including potentially County Executive, County Council members, Clerk of Courts, Sheriff, and judicial seats. Local voters will also decide any issues, tax levies, or bond measures proposed by the city or Lakewood City School District. Ohio voters can request absentee ballots online at boe.cuyahogacounty.gov or by submitting written applications. Applications must arrive by noon on the Saturday before Election Day. The state offers no-excuse absentee voting, allowing any registered voter to cast a mail ballot without stating a reason. Early in-person voting begins 28 days before Election Day at the Board of Elections office, with evening and weekend hours available. Military and overseas voters receive special accommodations under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). Completed absentee ballots must be postmarked by the day before Election Day and received within 10 days after the election to count, or they can be hand-delivered to the Board of Elections by 7:30 PM on Election Day.