Information for Candidates
The Hamilton County Board of Elections (BOE) provides information on how to run for office and information specific to City of Cincinnati elections. The Cincinnati Elections Commission (CEC) further provides a timeline of important dates.
All documents (including petition forms, candidate acceptance letters, and campaign finance reports) must be filed with the BOE, except for the following campaign finance reports, which must be filed with the CEC.
- For mayoral candidates when there is a mayoral primary, the CEC Post-Primary Report is due on May 13, 2025.
- For all candidates, the CEC Pre-Election Campaign Finance Report is due on July 31, 2025.
- For all candidates, the CEC Post-Election Campaign Finance Report is due on December 12, 2025.
Please note, these CEC campaign finance reports are in addition to the BOE campaign finance reports that may be due on the same dates.
In order to file CEC campaign finance reports, please use the CEC's special filing templates, so the information can be uploaded into the searchable CEC database. This information can be emailed to ElectionCommission@cincinnati-oh.gov.
Questions or concerns can be directed to Ian Doig at the City of Cincinnati Law Department. He can be reached via telephone (513-352-3624) or via email (Ian.Doig@cincinnati-oh.gov).
Important Documents
- Summary of 2025 Election Requirements -- coming soon
- Timeline of Important Dates
- CEC Filing Templates & Instructions
- Campaign Contributions Received (.csv)
- In-kind Contributions Received (.csv)
- Expenditures Made (.csv)
Guiding Authority
- Charter Provisions for Local Elections
- Cincinnati Municipal Code Chapter for Local Elections
- CEC Advisory Opinions