Ohio has six levels of courts:
• Supreme Court
• Appeals Courts
• Common pleas courts – At the county level, with several divisions and often several judges.
• Municipal courts
• Courts of claims
• Mayors courts
The Ohio Supreme Court offers this diagram and descriptions to show the connection and purposes of each court.
Who is on my ballot?
Judges serve for six years, so generally a third of those in your area are up for election every two years. To find the names of judges on your ballot, find your sample ballot at your county Board of Elections website.
What area does my appeals court cover?
There are 12 appeals court districts, often encompassing several counties. This map page provides information about each court and the names of current judges.
How do I do research?
These organizations provide information on the candidates:
Judge4Yourself, aggregates recommendations from five bar associations in Ohio.
Judicial Votes Count, maintained by the University of Akron and supported by the Ohio State Bar Association.
Ohio Fair Courts Alliance, founded by Common Cause Ohio, the Dayton NAACP, Greater Cleveland Congregations, Ohio Environmental Council and Ohio Voice.