To run for township trustee in Ohio in 2027, you file a nominating petition signed by at least 25 voters of your township with your county board of elections by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, August 4, 2027, and you pay a $30 filing fee. Township races are nonpartisan unless the township's voters have petitioned for party primaries, so most trustee candidates go straight to the general election ballot on Tuesday, November 2, 2027.
One detail surprises many first-time candidates: each Ohio township has three trustees, but only one trustee seat is on the ballot in 2027. The township fiscal officer is also elected in 2027. This guide covers both offices, from checking your eligibility to the first text you send supporters. For other local offices, see our guide to running for local office in Ohio.
Step 1: Understand the offices on the 2027 ballot
Township trustee
Every Ohio township has a board of three trustees, each serving a four-year term that begins on January 1 after the election. State law staggers the seats. Two trustees are elected in one odd-numbered year (most recently 2025, and next in 2029), and the third is elected two years later. Under that schedule, one trustee seat is up in each township in 2027, and the winner takes office on Saturday, January 1, 2028. Franklin County's 2027 schedule, for example, lists one trustee seat for each of its townships. Each year, the board picks one of its members to serve as chair.
The board's responsibilities vary from township to township. Before you run, attend a few trustee meetings, read recent minutes and talk with current or former trustees about what the board handles in your township.
Township fiscal officer
The township fiscal officer is elected every four years, and 2027 is an election year for the office. The term is four years and begins on April 1 after the election, so the 2027 winner takes office on Saturday, April 1, 2028.
Under state law, the fiscal officer keeps an accurate record of the board of trustees' proceedings at all of its meetings, and of all of the township's accounts and transactions, including the acceptance of the bonds of township officers. The fiscal officer must personally attend at least one board meeting in each quarter of the year, unless an emergency prevents it.
You cannot file for both trustee and fiscal officer at the same election. State law does not allow a candidate to file for two municipal, township or school offices at once, so choose one.
Step 2: Check that you qualify
When you sign the statement of candidacy on your petition, you declare under penalty of election falsification that you are an elector qualified to vote for the office. In practice, you must be a registered voter of the township. Every elected township official must also remain a resident of the township for the whole term, or the office is forfeited.
If you are unsure whether your address is in the township, or whether anything else affects your eligibility, ask your county board of elections before you collect signatures.
Step 3: Collect at least 25 signatures
State law requires at least 25 signatures from qualified voters of the township for trustee or fiscal officer, and no more than three times that number, 75. A petition with more than 75 is refused. As an example, Franklin County's 2027 schedule shows that range, 25 to 75, for each of its townships. Confirm your own range with your board.
A few rules matter most:
- Sign the statement of candidacy before anyone signs the petition.
- Signatures must be affixed in ink. Each signer also writes the date and their voting address as it appears in their registration record.
- Only a person's first signature counts, so a voter who signs twice is counted once.
- Signers must be qualified voters of the township on the day you file.
- The circulator (the person who collects the signatures, which may be you) signs a statement on each paper, under penalty of election falsification, saying they witnessed every signature and giving the number of signatures. No notary is needed.
Ohio sets no statewide date before which you may not collect signatures. Even so, aim for a comfortable margin above 25, because signatures from people who live outside the township, or who are not registered at the address they give, will be struck. For a full walkthrough of the form, see the Ohio nominating petition guide on Beacon, our canvassing app's site.
Step 4: File by August 4
File your petition with the board of elections of your county by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, August 4, 2027. If your township lies in more than one county, file with the board of the county that holds the major portion of its population. Pay the $30 fee when you file ($10 filing fee plus a $20 Ohio Election Integrity Commission fee). The fee is not refunded.
If you decide to run as a write-in candidate instead, file a declaration of intent by 4 p.m. on Monday, August 23, 2027.
Step 5: Campaign in the township
Township races cover a defined area, and in many townships the number of people who vote in an odd-year November election is small enough that a candidate can reach a large share of them personally. A practical approach:
- Knock on doors in the neighborhoods with the most regular voters first, and keep notes on who was undecided.
- Show up where residents gather, such as community festivals, places of worship and local businesses.
- Learn the issues residents raise, from the board's meeting minutes and from residents themselves, and be ready to explain what you would do about them.
- Plan for the fall voting dates. The Franklin County schedule shows voter registration closing at 9 p.m. on Monday, October 4, 2027 and early voting opening on Tuesday, October 5, 2027. On Election Day, polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Our campaign plan to November 2, 2027 sets out the work week by week.
Step 6: Text your supporters in CampaignCNX+, on a township budget
A township campaign is usually small, and so is its texting budget. Text only people who agreed in writing to receive texts from your campaign, and record the date. Signing your petition is not that agreement, so carry a separate sign-up sheet that says what people are agreeing to.
- Check your committee's filing first. Campaign Verify, the check that confirms to the carriers (the mobile phone companies) that you are a real campaign, needs an EIN (your committee's federal tax ID number) and a filing with an election authority that is published online. Ask your county board of elections whether your committee's filing can be viewed online, and ask Campaign Verify Support how to proceed if it cannot. Campaign Verify decides eligibility, and candidates with no committee are not eligible. It costs $95 per two-year cycle, and a request made on or after Sunday, November 15, 2026 lasts until Wednesday, January 31, 2029.
- Open a pay-as-you-go account. CampaignCNX+ files your carrier registration and your Campaign Verify token. 100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month. Pay-as-you-go texts cost $0.06 per SMS, and the credits never expire, which suits a short local race.
- Estimate your cost before you start. As an example only, a campaign with 300 opted-in supporters that sends each of them five texts uses 1,500 SMS, or $90 at the pay-as-you-go rate, plus the $5 monthly number and a one-time $75 10DLC registration (the carrier registration for texting from a local-style number) for your first local line. If you expect to send more, the Basic plan is $55 a month for 1,000 texts, and unused plan texts roll over.
- Add supporters to one group and record each person's permission date in a custom field.
- Schedule your texts. A welcome text when people sign up, a reminder when early voting opens on October 5, and an Election Day reminder are enough for most township races. Texts send only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in each recipient's time zone.
Thanks for signing up with [Name] for Township Trustee. I'll text a few updates before the Nov 2 election. Reply STOP to opt out.
For more worked budgets, see what it costs to text a local race, and for how texting works for campaigns across the region, our page on texting for Midwest campaigns.
Get on the ballot, then stay in touch
Start collecting signatures well before August 4, file early, and keep a list of the neighbors who asked to hear from you. When your committee is in place, start your CampaignCNX+ trial and schedule your fall reminders.
