(Columbus) - Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced a record number of close races in the 2025 general election following a successful post-election audit.
“Tight races underscore why election integrity matters, and it reinforces the need for a zero-tolerance approach to unlawful voting,” said Secretary LaRose. “A single illegitimate vote has the potential to undermine the outcome of an election for an entire community, whether it’s a school levy or a seat in Congress. At the same time, these close races show that only one engaged citizen can make all the difference in an election.”
Close Election Highlights:
Eighty-one contests were decided after an automatic recount, 72 of which were decided by 20 votes or fewer.
Fifty-three of 88 counties had close races that triggered an automatic recount.
Thirty-two contests came down to within one vote, including 10 tie votes.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
County Name | Race or issue Vote Margin |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
Geauga | Bainbridge Township Trustee | 9 |
Geauga | Kenston Local School Board Member | 20 |
Noble | Noble Township Trustee | 1 |
Adams | Franklin Township Trustee | 1 |
Adams | Seaman Village Local Option | 0 |
Washington | Muskingum Township Trustee | 3 |
Brown | Sardinia Village Council | 1 |
Pike | Piketon Duchess | 1 |
Ross | Bainbridge Village Council | 1 |
Erie | Member of Board of Education, Sandusky City School District | 7 |
Erie | Township Trustee, Township of Vermilion | 7 |
Hamilton | City of Deer Park Member of Council | 6 |
Hamilton | Issue 24 (Harrison Twp. Unincorp.) | 1 |
Shelby | Village Council - Jackson Center Pct 22 | 0 |
Shelby | McClean Township Trustee Pct 27 | 6 |
Union | Township Trustee - Darby Township | 3 |
Wyandot | 2.5 mill additional levy for Harpster Village | 2 |
Ottawa | Harris Township Trustee | 1 |
Licking | Newark Township Roads Levy | 2 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
Tuscarawas | Issue 1 Tuscarawas County ADAMHS Board | 26 |
Ashtabula | Dorset Township Trustee | 1 |
Ashtabula | Village of Rock Creek Mayor | 2 |
Fayette | City Council | 1 |
Ashland | Jeromesville Village Additional 1.3m | 0 |
Ashland | Savannah Village Council | 1 |
Ashland | Loudonville-Perrysville Exempted Village School District | 30 |
Muskingum | Jackson Township Cemeteries | 2 |
Mercer | Celina City School Board | 15 |
Darke | Tri-Village Board of Education | 3 |
Lorain | North Ridgeville City Council at Large | 28 |
Clark | Commission South Charleston | 2 |
Clark | German Township Roads | 2 |
Vinton | Wilkesville Township Trustees | 0 |
Trumbull | Farmington Twp Fire Levy | 0 |
Trumbull | Mesopotamia Twp Trustee | 1 |
Trumbull | Liberty LSD Bd of Education | 8 |
Trumbull | Lordstown Village Council | 5 |
Franklin | Truro Township Trustees | 13 |
Mahoning | Sebring Charter Amendment - Civil Service | 1 |
Perry | New Lexington Council | 2 |
Madison | Jonathan Alder Local School District Bond Levy | 3 |
Wood | Bloomdale Village Council | 1 |
Highland | Brushcreek Township Trustee | 1 |
Jefferson | Wintersville Council | 3 |
Carroll | Malvern Member of Council | 1 |
Montgomery | Carlisle LSD Income Tax | 10 |
Montgomery | New Lebanon City Council | 1 |
Montgomery | Montgomery County Municipal Court | 26 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
Warren | Issue 1 Carlisle Income Tax Repeal | 15 |
Warren | Wayne LS Board | 0 |
Warren | Harveysburg Village Council | 0 |
Clermont | Clermont County Children Services Levy | 68 |
Clermont | Central Joint Fire-EMS Levy | 17 |
Clermont | Loveland City Council | 1 |
Knox | Monroe Township Trustees | 1 |
Greene | Xenia Community City School Board | 36 |
Huron | South Central School Board FTC 1/1/26 | 0 |
Huron | Norwalk City Council At Large | 0 |
Huron | North Fairfield Village current expenses | 1 |
Wayne | Dalton LSD Bd of Educ. | 3 |
Holmes | Township Trustee - Mechanic | 2 |
Holmes | Loudonville-Perrysville School Board | 14 |
Fulton | Wauseon City Council | 5 |
Fulton | Swanton Village Council | 6 |
Columbiana | Fairfield TWP Trustee | 14 |
Medina | City of Wadsworth - Member of Council - Ward 3 | 3 |
Summit | Hudson City Council-at-Large | 67 |
Summit | Twinsburg City School Board | 10 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
Cuyahoga | Cleveland Council Ward 12 | 9 |
Cuyahoga | Bedford Board of Education Member | 7 |
Cuyahoga | Orange Board of Education Member | 15 |
Cuyahoga | North Royalton Council Ward 06 | 5 |
Cuyahoga | North Randall Village Council | 1 |
Portage | For Member of Council at Large Streetsboro City | 11 |
Jackson | Lick Twp Trustee | 1 |
Lake | Mentor City Council-at-Large 1-3-2026 term | 1 |
Stark | Pike Township Police District | 3 |
Lucas | Maumee City Council | 11 |
Mahoning | Member of Board of Education, West Branch Local School District | 30 |
Columbiana | West Township Trustee | 0 |
Columbiana | United Local Bd. Of Ed. | 3 |
Additionally, the state of Ohio averaged a 99.9 percent accuracy rate after each county conducted a post-election audit.
“We don’t just ask Ohioans to trust the process — we trust but verify,” Secretary LaRose added. “Confidence in our elections comes from transparency and accountability, and Ohio’s bipartisan election officials continue to prove why our state sets the national gold standard.”
Additional Background:
Tie Votes: In the case of a tie vote for a candidate race, the winner is determined by a random method such as drawing names from a hat or flipping a coin. This must be done in front of a board majority at a properly noticed public meeting. If a tie occurs on a ballot issue, the issue fails.
Post Election Audits: A post-election audit is a comprehensive review of results to verify that the election was accurate. Prior to an election, county boards of elections are required to conduct a full battery of logic and accuracy (L&A) testing on all voting equipment. After each election, a bipartisan team of Republicans and Democrats from county boards of elections compares the tabulated results to the hardcopy paper ballots to ensure fidelity between the two. Unlike other states, Secretary LaRose has required Ohio’s county boards to audit election results after every election.
# # #