On the 2026 ballot Issues 8 and 9, two charter amendments on how City Council is elected, are on Columbus’s November 3 ballot. Read the explainer →
Columbus Districts
The basics

How Columbus City Council works

Columbus uses a system that trips up even lifelong residents. Here's the short version: nine members, each living in a different district — but for now, every voter in the city helps elect all nine.

Seats
9 council members
Districts
~100,000 residents each
Term
4 years, staggered

The part that confuses people

Columbus has a hybrid system. Council members must live in the district they represent — but every Columbus voter votes in every district race on the ballot, not just their own district’s. Terms are staggered, so four or five of the nine seats are on the ballot in each election, and every member is ultimately accountable to the whole city.

Step 1 · Live
Members live local

Each candidate must reside in the district they want to represent.

Step 2 · Vote
Everyone votes citywide

All Columbus voters weigh in on every district seat that’s up.

Step 3 · Serve
Answerable to the city

Members represent a district but answer to all of Columbus.

This may change in November. On Nov. 3, 2026, Columbus voters will decide two charter amendments on how council is elected — Issue 8, a citizen measure for district-only elections, and Issue 9, a Council measure that makes the same change and expands the body to 13 members. Read the ballot explainer →

How we got here

1914–2023
A century at-large
For more than 100 years, Columbus elected all council members citywide, with no districts at all.
May 2018
Voters approve districts
Voters approve Issue 3, a charter amendment that expands council from seven seats to nine and requires each member to live in the district they represent. Members are still elected citywide.
2021
The map is drawn
A districting commission develops map options; City Council selects the final nine-district map in December.
2023
The system begins
All nine district seats are filled for the first time.
2024
Terms get staggered
Members draw lots: four take two-year terms (up in 2025), five take four-year terms (up in 2027). All future terms are four years, staggered so the whole council never turns over at once.
2025
The second district elections
Districts 1, 3, 4 and 7 are on the ballot. Three members are re-elected unopposed, and Tiara Ross wins the open District 7 seat by 1,722 votes citywide. See the results →
Nov. 3, 2026
Voters decide Issues 8 and 9
Two charter amendments on the ballot would change how council is elected. Read the ballot explainer →

What City Council actually does

Council is the legislative body of the City of Columbus. It adopts the city's operating and capital budgets, passes city ordinances (the Columbus City Codes), and approves city contracts. It's led by a Council President — currently Shannon G. Hardin. Day-to-day city operations are run by the Mayor's administration; Council sets policy and holds the purse strings.

How to get involved

Attend a meeting

Council meets at City Hall and the sessions are open to the public, with time set aside for public comment.

See the calendar →

Engage your area commission

The most local level of input — area commissions review zoning and advise Council on neighborhood matters.

Find yours →

Contact your members

Because every member is elected citywide, you can reach any of the nine — not just the one in your district.

Council directory →