Find answers to common questions about Ohio Common Ground, our mission, membership, and how we work together to make a difference.
Ohio Common Ground is a non-partisan, statewide voter leverage community dedicated to organizing citizens around shared concerns, converting public agreement into measurable influence, and encouraging a more responsive, competitive, and accountable system of government.
Membership is open to all Ohioans. As a member, you get to vote on the issues we prioritize, participate in local county chapters, and help shape our statewide advocacy efforts. One member, one vote.
No. Ohio Common Ground is strictly non-partisan and independent. We do not support or oppose political parties; instead, we focus on holding all leaders accountable to the common-sense priorities of everyday Ohioans.
Issue categories are driven by statewide polling data and, most importantly, by the votes of our members. We focus on areas where there is broad, non-partisan agreement among Ohioans.
We are funded primarily through individual memberships and grassroots donations from everyday Ohioans. We maintain strict transparency with full funding disclosures to ensure we remain accountable only to our members.
By respecting their time.
Most people aren't looking for another meeting to attend or another organization to volunteer for. They're looking for a way to have meaningful impact without making politics a second job.
OCG's goal is to make participation simple, focused, and effective. A few minutes from thousands of people, acting together, can have more influence than a few hours from a handful of activists. We do this using state-of-the-art technology.
The power isn't in asking more from people. The power is in helping people who already agree act together and help them do it efficiently.
When we (OCG) talk about "career politicians," we don't simply mean someone who has held office for a long time.
We mean a political system where many elected officials spend more time maintaining political power than solving problems.
In practice, that can happen when:
• Safe districts make reelection almost automatic.
• Party leaders have more influence than voters.
• Fundraising becomes a constant requirement.
• Politicians move from one office to another without returning to private life.
• The biggest political risk comes from party insiders rather than the general public.
When those incentives exist, politicians naturally focus on keeping their position instead of competing for the support of a broad range of voters.
The problem isn't that someone makes public service a career. The problem is when the system stops rewarding responsiveness and starts rewarding political survival.
Ohio Common Ground's goal isn't to attack politicians. It's to create enough organized voter influence that elected officials must continuously earn support rather than assume it.
An independent voter is someone who is not politically loyal to a party and does not automatically vote for Democrats or Republicans.
Independent voters evaluate candidates, issues, and policies individually and decide who earns their vote each election.
Depending on the state (Ohio is not one of them) some independents are formally registered as independents. Others may be registered voters who simply do not consistently participate in party politics or identify strongly with either major party.
What unites independent voters is not a specific ideology. They can be conservative, moderate, liberal, or a mix of views. What they share is a belief that no political party should automatically own their vote.
Ohio Common Ground believes politicians should have to earn support from voters every election through their actions, results, and responsiveness—not through party labels alone.
In short:
An independent voter is a voter whose vote is earned, not assumed.
In Ohio, voters do not register by party.
Instead, Ohio law determines party affiliation based on whether a voter chooses to vote in a political party's primary election.
Generally speaking, if you have not voted in a Democratic or Republican primary in recent years, Ohio considers you an unaffiliated voter.
Many people refer to these voters as "independents," although Ohio law uses different terminology.
Independent voters come from every background and political viewpoint. Some lean conservative. Some lean liberal. Many do not fit neatly into either party.
What they have in common is that they are not consistently participating in party politics and are not automatically committed to voting for one party's candidates.
According to data from the Ohio Secretary of State, unaffiliated voters make up the largest segment of Ohio's electorate.
Ohio Common Ground exists to give these voters a stronger voice. Rather than asking people to be loyal to a political party, we believe politicians should earn support by addressing the issues that matter most to Ohioans.
Ohio citizens have several ways to influence legislation and public policy.
They can:
• Contact their state legislators.
• Testify before legislative committees.
• Attend public meetings and hearings.
• Meet with elected officials.
• Submit written comments.
• Participate in advocacy campaigns.
• Organize petitions and citizen initiatives.
• Vote in elections.
All of these tools matter.
The challenge is that a single phone call, email, or meeting is easy for elected officials to ignore. When hundreds or thousands of citizens act together around a shared issue, legislators are much more likely to pay attention.
Like any organization, elected officials respond to incentives. They pay the closest attention to groups that are organized, informed, and capable of affecting election outcomes.
That is why citizen organization matters.
The most effective way for ordinary people to influence legislation is not simply to speak—it is to speak together.
Ohio Common Ground exists to help citizens identify shared priorities, coordinate their efforts, and amplify their collective voice so elected officials cannot easily ignore them.
Property taxes in Ohio are used to fund a variety of local government services and public institutions.
The largest share typically goes to public schools, but property taxes also help fund:
• Counties
• Cities and villages
• Townships
• Vocational schools
• Libraries
• Park districts
• Mental health and developmental disability services
• Senior services
• Public safety services in some communities
• Bond repayments and other voter-approved levies
The exact distribution varies depending on where you live and which local levies have been approved by voters.
In most Ohio communities, public schools receive the largest portion of property tax revenue, often accounting for more than half of all property taxes collected.
Property taxes are local taxes. While state law establishes the framework, most property tax dollars remain in the community where they are collected and are distributed among local taxing authorities.
Property taxes are one of the primary ways local governments and schools pay for services, which is why discussions about property tax reform often focus not only on reducing taxes but also on how those services would be funded in the future.
Property taxes in Ohio are used to fund a variety of local government services and public institutions.
The largest share typically goes to public schools, but property taxes also help fund:
• Counties
• Cities and villages
• Townships
• Vocational schools
• Libraries
• Park districts
• Mental health and developmental disability services
• Senior services
• Public safety services in some communities
• Bond repayments and other voter-approved levies
The exact distribution varies depending on where you live and which local levies have been approved by voters.
In most Ohio communities, public schools receive the largest portion of property tax revenue, often accounting for more than half of all property taxes collected.
Property taxes are local taxes. While state law establishes the framework, most property tax dollars remain in the community where they are collected and are distributed among local taxing authorities.
Property taxes are one of the primary ways local governments and schools pay for services, which is why discussions about property tax reform often focus not only on reducing taxes but also on how those services would be funded in the future.
Ohio's voter registration system is different from the system used in many states.
When Ohioans register to vote, they do not register as Democrats, Republicans, Independents, or members of any other political party.
Instead, voters register simply as eligible voters.
Party affiliation is determined later by whether a voter chooses to participate in a political party's primary election.
For example:
If you vote in a Republican primary, Ohio generally considers you affiliated with the Republican Party.
If you vote in a Democratic primary, Ohio generally considers you affiliated with the Democratic Party.
If you do not vote in a partisan primary, Ohio generally considers you unaffiliated.
A voter may change their affiliation simply by choosing a different party's primary ballot in a future election, if permitted under Ohio law.
Because Ohio does not have formal party registration, many people who describe themselves as "independents" are technically unaffiliated voters who have not recently participated in a Democratic or Republican primary.
This system often surprises Ohio voters because they assume party affiliation is established when they register to vote. In Ohio, it is generally determined by primary election participation, not by the voter registration form itself.
In Ohio, the answer depends on what you mean by "independent."
Ohio does not have a formal Independent voter registration category. Instead, voters are generally considered affiliated with a political party if they choose to vote in that party's primary election.
If you have not recently voted in a Democratic or Republican primary, many people would consider you an independent or unaffiliated voter.
However, you may still choose to vote in a party primary by requesting that party's ballot when you vote in a primary election.
When you do, Ohio generally considers that primary participation as evidence of party affiliation.
Some Ohio voters vote regularly in party primaries because they want a voice in choosing candidates before the general election.
Others choose not to participate in partisan primaries because they prefer to remain unaffiliated.
Both are legal choices.
The important thing to understand is that Ohio does not require voters to permanently register with a political party. Party affiliation is generally determined by primary election participation rather than by a party designation on your voter registration form.
As a result, many Ohio voters move between affiliated and unaffiliated status over time depending on whether they choose to participate in partisan primaries.
A majority of Ohio voters are considered unaffiliated under Ohio's election system.
Unlike many states, Ohio does not register voters by party when they sign up to vote. Instead, party affiliation is generally determined by participation in a Democratic or Republican primary election.
As a result, millions of Ohio voters are considered unaffiliated because they have not recently participated in a partisan primary.
According to data published by the Ohio Secretary of State, unaffiliated voters represent the largest segment of Ohio's electorate.
These voters come from every background and political viewpoint. Some lean Republican. Some lean Democratic. Many do not identify strongly with either party.
What they often share is a desire to evaluate candidates and issues independently rather than automatically supporting one political party.
Despite being the largest segment of Ohio voters, unaffiliated voters have historically had little organized representation compared to political parties, advocacy groups, and special interests.
Ohio Common Ground was created to help independent and unaffiliated Ohioans identify shared priorities, coordinate their efforts, and strengthen their collective voice in the political process.
The goal is not to create another political party. The goal is to help voters work together so elected officials have a stronger incentive to listen and respond.
In everyday conversation, people often use the terms independent voter and unaffiliated voter interchangeably. However, they are not exactly the same thing.
An unaffiliated voter is a voter who is not currently considered affiliated with a political party based on Ohio's election laws and voting history.
An independent voter is generally a voter who thinks of themselves as politically independent and not automatically loyal to a political party.
The distinction matters because independence is often a matter of personal identity, while unaffiliated status is a matter of election administration.
For example:
A voter may consider themselves politically independent but occasionally vote in a Republican or Democratic primary.
Another voter may be legally unaffiliated because they have not voted in a partisan primary, even though they consistently prefer one party's candidates.
In Ohio, there is no official voter registration category called "Independent."
Voters do not register as Democrats, Republicans, Independents, or members of any other party. Instead, party affiliation is generally determined by participation in a party primary election.
As a result, many Ohioans who describe themselves as independent voters are technically unaffiliated voters under Ohio's election system.
For practical purposes, Ohio Common Ground uses the phrase "independent and unaffiliated voters" to describe Ohioans who want to think for themselves, evaluate issues and candidates individually, and avoid automatic loyalty to any political party.
Most political organizations begin with an ideology and then recruit people who already agree with it.
Ohio Common Ground starts from a different place.
We begin with the recognition that millions of Ohioans do not fit neatly into either major political party and often agree on more issues than politics would suggest.
Most organizations are built around a cause, ideology, party, or worldview.
They typically:
• Promote a defined set of beliefs.
• Advocate a particular political philosophy.
• Support one side of the political spectrum.
• Mobilize people who already agree with them.
There is nothing inherently wrong with that model.
It simply isn't ours.
Ohio Common Ground is built around voter leverage.
Our purpose is not to convince Ohioans what to think.
Our purpose is to help Ohioans identify where broad agreement already exists and organize around those issues to create measurable political influence.
We are issue-driven, not ideology-driven.
Members will not agree on every issue.
In fact, we expect disagreement.
What matters is identifying areas where large numbers of Ohioans share common concerns and then acting together where agreement exists.
We are member-directed.
Issue priorities are determined through member participation and member voting rather than by donors, party officials, activists, or national organizations.
We are designed to resist capture.
Ohio Common Ground's governance structure includes safeguards intended to prevent control by political parties, candidates, donors, or ideological factions. These include transparency requirements, conflict-of-interest rules, member voting rights, term limits, and anti-capture provisions.
We measure results, not rhetoric.
Most organizations measure success by fundraising, media attention, or election outcomes.
We intend to measure success by a different question:
Did organized citizens create measurable influence on public policy and elected officials?
We are not a political party.
We are not trying to replace Republicans.
We are not trying to replace Democrats.
We are not trying to become a third party.
Our goal is to build an organized voter bloc large enough that elected officials from every party must pay attention to it.
In one sentence:
Most political organizations represent an ideology.
Ohio Common Ground exists to organize voters around shared priorities so politicians must earn their support.
Absolutely!
Ohio Common Ground welcomes Republicans, Democrats, independents, Libertarians, and unaffiliated voters.
You don't have to leave your political party to join us.
What we're looking for are people who believe citizens should have a stronger voice, politicians should earn our support, and Ohioans can work together on issues where common ground exists.
Our goal isn't to replace the parties.
Our goal is to make sure they're listening to the people they were elected to serve.