Contributors: Rachel Jamison, Deb Wang, and Aaron Yeager.
This November, the Presidential General Election will not only determine the next President of the United States but will also play a pivotal role in selecting key national and state offices, as well as addressing important issues that affect our communities at both the state and local levels. From the effort to end gerrymandering in Ohio (Vote Yes on Issue 1!) to securing funding for new facilities in the Stow Munroe-Falls School District (Issue 31), read on for our recommendations on who and what to vote for, including a sample ballot for Stow.
Table of Contents
1. Important dates for voting
2. Statement on Gaza
3. Sample ballot for Stow, Ohio
4. Details on candidates and issues
Important dates for voting
ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2024.
Polls open at 6:30 AM and close at 7:30 PM. You can find your polling location by looking up your name on the Board of Elections website.
Other important dates are below:
| Date(s) | Deadline Description |
|---|---|
| 9/20 | Military and overseas absentee voting begins. |
| 10/7 | Deadline to register to vote. |
| 10/29 | Absentee ballot applications must be received by Summit County Board of Elections. |
| 10/8 – 11/3 | Early in-person voting at the Summit County Board of Elections. Final deadline for hand-delivered absentee ballots is Election Day, Nov. 5, 7:30 PM. Board of Elections open on the two Saturdays and the two Sundays before Election Day: 1. Saturday, 10/26 and Sunday, 10/27 2. Sunday, 11/2 and Sunday 11/3 For early voting, you must apply for and return an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots must be returned to the Board of Elections, not polling stations. |
| 10/8 – 11/4 | Absentee voting by mail. *Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Mon., Nov. 4 and received by the Board of Elections by Fri., Nov. 9. |
Statement on Gaza
On the sample ballot below, you’ll notice an asterisk next to some of our endorsed candidates.
Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent invasion, 37,396 people had been killed in the Gaza Strip by June 19, 2024 — a conservative estimate accepted by Israeli intelligence services. The United Nations estimated 42,409 Palestinian dead on October 16, 2024.
While making this sample ballot, all members of Stow Collaboration for Change felt a profound dissonance between our focus on state and local issues and the fact of our national citizenship. It is clear to us that an American citizen is the subject of a globally dominant empire, an empire which will always prefer to support a genocidal regime in Israel before conceding its political and economic interests in the Middle East.
As citizens of empire, we have little meaningful influence on foreign policy that is not funneled through elected representatives at the federal level. In light of votes for aid to Israel by the Democratic candidates for U.S. Congress shortly after the IDF’s destruction of Al Shifa hospital, and Kamala Harris’s stated refusal to attenuate U.S. support for Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, SC4C must note that they are not endorsed unanimously by all our members.
Everyone on our team understands the colossal inertia that makes continued American support for Israel inevitable in practice, if not in fact. We also understand that the outsize flow of energy, resources, and people to the United States — the center of the global north — could not exist if we were not aiding and abetting constant violence upon outsiders. Finally, we all appreciate that Republicans pursue legitimacy by endorsing and committing spectacular violence against Black people, poor people, queer people, and women, while the Democratic candidates for federal office gain legitimacy by resisting that spectacular violence (though not the quotidian, polite violence). When one’s political expression of conscience has been reduced to an anemic vote, choosing between your loved ones at home and the victims of an American-supported genocide abroad feels like an impossible choice. We only ask that you choose with eyes open.
Sample ballot for Stow, Ohio
Below is a sample ballot for Stow, Ohio, with our voting recommendations. If you live somewhere else in Summit County, you can find your sample ballot by looking up your name on the Board of Elections website.
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Details on Candidates and Issues
Read about our recommendations and endorsements below.
For more information, check out the Akron Beacon Journal’s Voter Guide (not subscribed? See this free version.)
Table of Contents
National Candidates
President & Vice President
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz
ENDORSED BY STOW COLLABORATION FOR CHANGE (NOT UNANIMOUSLY)
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are running on a platform that promises to:
- sign a bill to enshrine the right to an abortion into federal law
- codify voting rights and protection against anti-queer dis queer Americans against job and housing discrimination
- reduce grocery prices by disrupting monopolistic merges and acquisitions in the grocery industry; prosecute price-fixing collusion schemes; and pass federal legislation against price-gouging* (“Chapter 02: Lower Food and Grocery Costs”)
- expand and make permanent tax credits to subsidize health insurance premiums on Affordable Care Act marketplace plans* (“Chapter 03: Lower Health Care Costs”)
- remove medical debt from credit reports* (“Chapter 03: Lower Health Care Costs”)
- lower prescription drug costs by extending Medicare’s $35 cap on life-giving insulin and $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket costs to all Americans, not just senior citizens* (“Chapter 04: Lower Prescription Drug Costs”)
- invest in the care economy, starting with the restoration and expansion of the Biden-era Child Tax Credit* (“Chapter 10: Create Security and Opportunity for Workers and Build a Care Economy)
*See the Harris/Walz economic plan “A New Way Forward.”
Harris and Walz have a dedicated Opportunity Agenda addressed specifically to Black men. We are gratified to see that both the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns recognize the need to articulate a policy agenda for Black men. The ideal content and methods of such an agenda remains a hotly-debated subject among Black Americans. We encourage non-Black Americans to seek out and understand this underappreciated political discourse, one that has been ongoing since at least Reconstruction.
Harris and Walz are the undeniably preferred candidates for United States President and Vice-President over their Republican opponents, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. We also have no reason to believe that a Harris administration will make any serious efforts to curtail, let alone oppose, Israel’s ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip. This lack of confidence informs our non-unanimous endorsement.
United States Senate
Sherrod Brown
ENDORSED BY STOW COLLABORATION FOR CHANGE (NOT UNANIMOUSLY)
Senator Brown voted for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, a package of progressive measures, which included:
- funding to incentivize an economic transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources
- removing loopholes that allowed the largest corporations to avoid paying the statutory minimum tax
- lowering the price of prescription drugs under Medicare and reducing Affordable Care Act premium subsidies for a portion of Ohioans
Brown has sponsored bills in support of a commission to study reparations for Black Americans, absentee voting, striking workers, and improved dental care under Medicaid. Brown also voted for the Women’s Health Protection Act in 2022 to prevent state and local governments from restricting abortion rights established in the SCOTUS decisions Roe v. Wade and Casey vs. Planned Parenthood.
Brown received an non-unanimous endorsement from SC4C, due to his vote for HR 815, a $95 billion foreign aid package that included the $26.4 billion in aid to Israel passed by the House in HR 8035. The package also contained funds for Ukraine ($60.8 billion) and Taiwan ($8.1 billion). The Israeli Defense Forces had just finished its massacre at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza.
While we firmly believe he is the preferred candidate over Bernie Moreno, Brown’s vote in support of aid to Israel during the genocide in Gaza weighed on our decision, and is reflected in our non-unanimous endorsement.
United States House of Representatives
Emilia Sykes
ENDORSED BY STOW COLLABORATION FOR CHANGE (NOT UNANIMOUSLY)
Congresswoman Sykes voted against the Anti-BDS Labeling Act, supporting the right of Americans who wish to apply historically-proven economic pressure against regimes that practice apartheid.
Sykes also voted against HR 8205 “Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act”, which sought to create new avenues for criminalizing state and local bail organizations. Sykes has made her stance on abortion clear in by co-sponsoring a bill to protect access to emergency abortion care.
While we fully support Sykes progressive reform efforts, we must also recognize Sykes voted for $26.4 billion in aid to Israel, $14.3 billion of which was earmarked as military aid (Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024, H.R. 8034). The Israeli Defense Forces had just finished its massacre at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza.
As with Senator Brown, we wholeheartedly believe Sykes is the preferred candidate over her Republican opponent, Kevin Coughlin. However, Sykes’ support of aid to Israel during the genocide in Gaza resulted in the decision to not endorse unanimously.
State Candidates
Ohio Supreme Court Justice
Heading into this election, the Ohio Supreme Court has a 4-3 Republican majority. If all three Democratic candidates win their races, Democrats would have a 4-3 majority. If all three Republicans win the races, Republicans would have a 6-1 majority on the court. As of 2024, Republicans have held a majority on the court since 1986.
Michael Donnelly
UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSED BY STOW COLLABORATION FOR CHANGE
Donnelly has been rated “Excellent” by most bar associations. He played a significant role in the Court’s majority, which consistently opposed gerrymandered General Assembly and Congressional districts that violated Ohio’s Constitution. He strongly argued that the General Assembly lacked the authority to call a special election in August 2023, successfully thwarted multiple efforts to exclude the Reproductive Freedom amendment from the 2023 ballot, and defended the rights of union members.
Based on Donnelly’s ongoing initiatives to address Ohio’s justice gap, leverage data to enhance equity in sentencing, and improve the transparency, accountability, and efficiency of the justice system, we’re happy to endorse him.
Melody Stewart
UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSED BY STOW COLLABORATION FOR CHANGE
Justice Stewart, the first Black woman ever elected to the Ohio Supreme Court, has been rated “Excellent” by several bar associations. Throughout her time on the Supreme Court, Justice Stewart has been honored with various awards that acknowledge her commitment to public service, the judiciary, and the people of Ohio.
Justice Stewart has 30+ years of experience in administration, law, and academics and has served on a number of boards and committees, including the Ohio Criminal Justice Recodification Committee, the Ohio Supreme Court’s Judicial College board, and the Ohio Capital Case Attorney Fee Council.
Stewart’s endorsements include The Freedom BLOC, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, and a number of others. We’re excited to add our endorsement to that list.
Lisa Forbes
UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSED BY STOW COLLABORATION FOR CHANGE
Forbes has been rated “Excellent” by several bar associations and is proudly endorsed by the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, and Teamsters Ohio D.R.I.V.E., amongst others.
Forbes believes the Ohio Supreme Court should be consistent with its original purpose, a check and balance for the systems and people in power, in order to protect Ohioans from lobbyists and partisan interests.
She’s not afraid of disagreeing with her colleagues as demonstrated in her dissenting opinion on The Reagan Tokes Act where she argued that the law, which wanted to add extra time to inmate’s terms for misbehavior, was unconstitutional. Forbes supports creating a criminal sentencing database, stating “the sentence a defendant receives should be based on the individual’s conduct, not the courtroom to which his or her case is assigned.”
Ohio Senate
Casey Weinstein
UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSED BY STOW COLLABORATION FOR CHANGE
Weinstein is an American veteran, businessman, and politician who currently serves as a State Representative for the 34th district of Ohio, representing parts of Summit County including Stow, Munroe Falls, Hudson, Tallmadge, etc. Prior to his time serving as representative, Weinstein was an active member of the Hudson City Council.
During his time as State Representative, Weinstein’s voting record shows that he voted to repeal the marital loophole in rape cases, protecting women who are being abused by their spouses. He consistently voted against legislation that denies gender-affirming care and seeks to marginalize transgender students in public schools.
He co-sponsored a bipartisan bill with the Chairman of the Armed Services & Veterans Affairs Committee to urge Congress to fully fund Ohio’s military construction projects and secured state funding to assist building a Northfield First Responders admin building. Additionally he fought to improve Ohio’s infrastructure and transportation budget, resulting in 62.4% more in state funding for local infrastructure.
On Weinstein’s website, he states he is an active pro-choice supporter of women’s rights and “an unabashed supporter of bodily autonomy.” We’re glad to back him.
Ohio House of Representatives
Derrick Hall
UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSED BY STOW COLLABORATION FOR CHANGE
Hall grew up food-insecure, while living in public housing, in Akron, which has helped shape his community-centric platform.
After graduating from the University of Akron, The Ohio State University, and Harvard University, Hall went on to serve as a Judge Advocate General in the Army Reserve; he now works in healthcare administration, and recently served as President of the Akron Public School Board.
Hall’s platform advocates for public school funding, ending gerrymandering in Ohio, addressing disparities in healthcare, and protecting reproductive rights, among other things.
We endorsed Hall during the Democratic Primary Election back in March of this year, and are proud to endorse him once again.
Local Candidates
Judge of the Court of Appeals (9th District)
Steve Elliott
Elliot is the Democratic candidate running against Republican Jennifer Hensal.
County Executive
Ilene Shapiro
Shapiro, a Democrat, is running unopposed.
County Fiscal Officer
Kristen Scalise
Scalise is the Democratic candidate running against Republican Scott Sigel.
Prosecuting Attorney
Elliot Kolkovich
Kolkovich is the Democratic candidate running against Republican John Greven.
Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas
Tavia Galonski
UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSED BY STOW COLLABORATION FOR CHANGE
Galonski, the first Black Summit County clerk of courts, previously served as State Representative for Ohio’s 35th District.
She dedicated her time in the House to advocating for working families, protecting abortion access, reforming the criminal justice system, promoting economic justice, and fighting for equitable school funding – earning her an A+ rating from Equality Ohio in 2022.
Galonski’s history in public service goes back to the 1980s, when she fought to unionize her colleagues as a Delta Airlines attendant. We’re happy to endorse her.
Summit County Sheriff
Kandy Fatheree
Fatheree is the Democratic candidate running against Republican Shane Barker.
County Engineer
Alan Brubaker
Brubaker, a Democrat, is running unopposed.
Member of County Council (District 3)
David Licate
Licate is the Democratic candidate running against Republican Jeremy McIntire.
Judge of the Court of Common Pleas (General Division)
Kathryn Michael
Michael, a Democrat, is running unopposed.
Jennifer Towell
UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSED BY STOW COLLABORATION FOR CHANGE
Towell worked as a Magistrate from 2019-2022 at the Akron Municipal Court, was elected to a vacated Summit County Common Pleas Court seat in 2022, and is currently running for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas.
She coordinated the first Fugitive Safe Surrender event where hundreds of people showed up to resolve their misdemeanor charges and any outstanding warrants, demonstrating a commitment to a less punitive court system and decreasing encounters with the police.
Towell received her Bachelor of Science from Miami University of Ohio, cum laude, and received her Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University College of Law.
Susan Baker Ross
Baker Ross is the Democratic candidate running against Republican Susan Steinhauer.
State of Ohio Issues
Issue 1: To Create an Appointed Redistricting Commission
not Elected by or Subject to Removal by the Voters of the State
We recommend voting “YES.”
Ohio has a long history of politicians and lobbyists manipulating voting districts to further their own interests and secure re-election. As one of the ten most gerrymandered states in the nation, Ohio’s voting district maps have been declared unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court seven times.
State Republicans have gone out of their way to make the ballot language of Issue 1 confusing and misleading.
Issue 1 aims to eliminate gerrymandering by empowering citizens—not politicians—to create fair districts through an open and transparent process. Issue 1 will:
- Mandate that the Commission operates under a transparent and independent process
- Establish a 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission, composed of Democratic, Republican, and Independent citizens who reflect the state’s diverse geographic areas and demographics.
- Prohibit current or former politicians, political party officials, and lobbyists from serving on the Commission.
- Ensure that districts are drawn fairly and impartially by making it unconstitutional to create voting districts that discriminate against or favor any political party or individual politician.
VOTE YES on Issue 1 to end gerrymandering in Ohio and take the power to create fair districts back from corrupt politicians.
Summit County/Stow Issues
Issue 31: Proposed Bond Issue, Stow-Munroe Falls City School District
We recommend voting “FOR THE BOND ISSUE.”
A bond issue for new facilities for the Stow Munroe-Falls School District will be on the November 5th ballot. The bond would fund the construction of 4 new elementary schools, one new middle school, and the demolition of existing K-8 schools (except Woodland).
The bond will provide funding for Phase 1 of the Master Facilities Plan, which includes:
- Four new K-5 Elementary Schools
- One new 6-8 Middle School with an auditorium & athletic improvements
- The abatement and demolition of the existing K-8 schools, except Woodland Elementary School
The current school buildings have numerous ongoing maintenance issues, like roofs that retain water and leak into classrooms and basements, and corrosion in classrooms and foundations. The facilities are not up to current accessibility and efficiency standards, nor do they offer enough meeting or storage space.
The existing buildings are at the end of their lifecycle. Renovating the existing buildings was determined to be more costly than building new facilities by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC). Key pieces of major systems, like roofs, boilers and chillers, are starting to fail in multiple buildings. A new boiler can cost around $200,000 – a roof replacement can cost millions!
The cost to maintain the current buildings is only going to get increase as time goes on and buildings continue to deteriorate. If the facilities project is started now, students can remain in their existing buildings while new facilities are built, and won’t require additional swing space. Due to inflation and deteriorating buildings, the longer the process is delayed wait, the more expensive it will be to construct new facilities. Learn more about the Facility Master Plan and Issue 31.
VOTE YES on Issue 31 to pass the SMF Schools Facilities Bond!
Issue 40: Proposed Tax Levy (Renewal), County of Summit
We recommend voting “YES.”
The Summit County Children Services renewal tax levy is crucial to continue providing needed services to children in Summit County.
For more than a century, Summit County Children Services (SCCS) has improved the lives of abused and neglected children and their families by promoting child safety, permanency and well-being.
In the past decade, the number of children in SCCS’s custody has increased by more than 50% and last year, SCCS served 1 out of every 12 children in Summit County.
The operating levy renewal acts as a critical funding source (providing approximately 60% of the agency’s budget), allowing SCCS to continue to provide services like a 24-hour child abuse and neglect hotline, kinship care, foster care, foster-to-adopt opportunities and accompanying family support and community outreach programs.
VOTE YES on Issue 40 to support critical services for Summit County children!
Issue 41: Proposed Charter Amendment County of Summit
We recommend voting “YES.”
Currently, certain family members of classified employees earning over $80,000 per year are prohibited from county employment. Issue 29 proposes changing the Employment Eligibility section of the Summit County Charter.
Proposed Change #1: Amend the charter to add clarification that this only applies to County Charter offices
Non-charter offices, such as Summit County Children Services and the Common Pleas Courts, are not subject to the County Charter. As a result, these provisions do not apply to them. This has been reported to have caused confusion during the job application & hiring process.
Proposed Change #2: Add “aunt and uncle” to the list of relatives
The current provision excludes spouses, siblings, children, parents, half-siblings, stepchildren, stepparents, grandparents, grandchildren, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and first-degree cousins from county employment, but does not exclude aunts and uncles.
Proposed Change #3: Remove the $80,000 salary cap
Eliminating salary figures helps guarantee that family members are excluded from county employment due to their influence in the hiring process and agency direction, as was originally intended. This proposed change does not modify the existing language that prohibits the hiring of relatives of “an elected County official, unclassified County employee, or County employee at the Director level.”
*proposed change does not alter existing language prohibiting the hiring of relatives of “an elected County official, unclassified County employee, or County employee at the level of Director.”
Issue 41 appears to be a genuine attempt to clarify and clean up the existing Summit County Charter, while still keeping needed regulations in place to prevent nepotism. We recommend voting YES.
Issue 42: Proposed Charter Amendment County of Summit
We recommend voting “YES.”
Issue 41 proposes changing the Summit County Charter to require submission of estimated revenues and proposed expenditures on a yearly basis, instead of a quarterly basis. Anyone can access Summit County’s budget, estimated revenues, and proposed expenditures at any time online.
All other sections of the Charter require estimated revenues and proposed expenditures to be submitted only once a year. The amendment aims to standardize budget practices and Charter language by mandating the annual submission of all estimated revenues and proposed expenditures
Like Issue 41, Issue 42 presents as a sincere attempt to clean up the existing Summit County Charter. We recommend voting YES.