Just because a local option is approved does not mean the State of Ohio will issue a liquor permit. Liquor permits in Ohio are issued on a QUOTA SYSTEM that is based on population. Here’s how the quota system works: Class ‘C’ permits are issued on a ratio of 1 permit to every 1000 people and fraction thereof in a political subdivision and Class ‘D’ permits are issued at a ratio of 1 permit to every 2000 residents and fraction thereof. Petitioners should review the permit quota for their area before placing a local option on the ballot to be sure they will ultimately benefit from all their hard work. Below is an example of a permit quota file from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control. Notice that a population of 12,005 allows 13 C1 permits and 7 D1 permits.
Precinct Local Option History by County
(click on county below to reveal the complete local option history by precinct in that county from 1933 to the present)