New Poll Highlights Ohioans’ Preference of School Choice, Systematic Property Tax Reform Following Gov. DeWine’s State of the State Address
COLUMBUS, OH—A new statewide survey commissioned by Americans for Prosperity-Ohio (AFP-OH), and reported by Spectrum News, makes it clear that Ohioans view “greater flexibility in how their child receives an education” as ideal, are frustrated with energy prices, and support systematic property tax reform.
The survey, conducted by i360, polls more than 1000 Ohioans and highlights the policy areas of education, energy, and fiscal policy.
AFP-OH State Director Donovan O’Neil issued the following statement:
“As seen in these representative survey results, education remains a top priority for families in the Buckeye State. Not only do the majority of voters favor school choice, they clearly want lawmakers to empower families with flexibility and financial resources that they can use to help pay for school and related expenses.
“We can also see Ohioans’ frustration with energy prices and excessive tax prices relative to the services they receive – leadership in the House and Senate have already expressed a desire to move quickly on these priorities, and our team is eager to help put a megaphone to the voices of Ohioans throughout the next three months of the biannual budget process to ensure these priorities remain top of mind.”
Read more about survey results in the following policy areas:
Education: Ohioans view K-12 education improvement as a top priority, with 85% saying that enhancing K-12 education is “extremely” or “very important” for state lawmakers to focus on. When asked about specific changes to K-12 education, a majority signal support for “school choice” policies (58% support, 24% oppose, 18% undecided). These numbers suggest Ohio families want lawmakers to empower parents with more K-12 education flexibility.
Energy: Ohioans are frustrated with high energy prices. 76% say the cost of energy in their local communities is “way too high” or “somewhat high.” A majority (60%) want the government’s number one priority to be ensuring more affordable and reliable energy, even if it slows the pace of renewable energy development. Just 31% say renewable energy should take precedence over affordable and reliable energy. These results suggest voters want the government to reassess its energy priorities to help bring costs down.
State Taxes: Ohio voters believe taxes in their state are excessive relative to the services they receive. A plurality (47%) say state income taxes are “too high,” while nearly two-thirds (65%) say the same about property taxes. When asked how property tax relief should be implemented, a majority (55%) say they want lawmakers to prioritize lowering property taxes for all taxpayers rather than introducing more special exemptions. Just 36% support additional exemptions, while 9% are undecided. These findings highlight a desire for systemic property tax reform rather than piecemeal adjustments.
Survey methodology can be found HERE, and full survey results can be found HERE.
