The 2023 Columbus City Council election was held on November 7, 2023, to elect the nine members of the Columbus City Council. Primary elections were scheduled for May 2, 2023, but were cancelled as no more than two candidates were placed on the ballot for any ward (the top two candidates in each ward would have advanced to the general election).
Background
This was the first municipal election to held under the new hybrid at-large council structure approved by Columbus voters in a 2018 referendum. Following this election, the total number of councillors was increased from seven to nine, each representing a single ward (as opposed to the at-large representation of previous councils). However, voters are able to select their preferred candidate in all nine wards, rather than only the ward in which they are registered to vote.[citation needed]
2018 Columbus city charter amendment
Choice
Votes
%
Yes
64,285
75.06
No
21,358
24.94
Total votes
85,643
100.00
To ensure that council terms remain staggered, councillors elected in 2023 will draw lots at the beginning of the 2024 council session, with five members serving a four-year term and four members serving a two-year term (increasing to four years after the 2025 municipal election).[1][2]
Notably, with the addition of two new seats (and incumbent council member Mitchell Brown not running for re-election), this was the first time since 2015 that non-incumbent candidates were elected.[3]
Results
Note: Columbus City Council is officially non-partisan and all candidates appear on the ballot without a party affiliation. Affiliations listed here are according to the candidates themselves and party endorsement lists.
Yes