Researching your ballot

What is on my ballot?

Finding your ballot is the easy part. Making sense of every race on it, down to the judges and the local levies, takes a method. Here is a nonpartisan one you can reuse every election.

Last reviewed 2026-10-28

Step by step: research your ballot

Get your sample ballot. Your county board of elections publishes sample ballots before each election; the Ohio Secretary of State lists every county board. Use the one for your own precinct, because local races differ street by street.
Read the official wording of each issue. For a ballot issue, start with the exact ballot language and any official explanation, before reading arguments for or against it.
Read what each candidate says about themselves. Campaign websites, candidate questionnaires from nonpartisan groups and newspaper Q and A pages show what a candidate chooses to stress.
Look at the record. For incumbents, look at votes, decisions and meeting minutes. For judges, look at their experience and the courts they have served in.
Watch them answer questions. Forums, debates and town halls show how candidates respond to questions they did not prepare.
Compare sources and decide. Use more than one source for every race, note what you still do not know, and make your own choice.

Questions to ask about any race

What does this office actually decide, and how long is the term?
What has each candidate said they will do first?
Who is paying for the campaign? Campaign finance reports are public.
For an issue: what changes if it passes, and what stays the same if it fails?

Tip.Write down your choices before you vote, race by race, so the long end of the ballot holds no surprises. Ask your county board of elections what you may bring into the booth.

Candidate debates: an opening, a reply and a rebuttal

Researching your ballot often ends at a candidate forum or debate, where you hear people answer questions they did not script. The format has deep roots. In 1858 Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, competing for one of Illinois' two U.S. Senate seats, met in seven debates, and the National Park Service records the rules: one candidate opened for 60 minutes, the other replied for 90, and the first closed with a 30-minute rebuttal.

Take away the history and that is the skeleton of every debate since: a case, an answer from the other side, and a last word that deals with the strongest objection. Classroom debates and speech assignments shrink the clock to minutes, yet the three parts survive, and a useful list of persuasive speech topics pairs every claim with the objection listeners are likely to raise. That list, from persuasivespeechtopics.org, follows this section in full.

The 1858 debate format, scaled down to a five-minute speech
Part	1858	Five-minute class speech
Opening	60 minutes	About three minutes: your claim and two reasons
Reply	90 minutes	About ninety seconds: name the objection and answer it
Rebuttal	30 minutes	About thirty seconds: restate the claim and the ask

Source: National Park Service, Lincoln Home: The Lincoln-Douglas Debates

The full persuasive speech topics guide, reproduced from persuasivespeechtopics.org

Persuasive speech topics

Persuasive speech topics that work take a side people can argue with: students should get two mental health days a semester, schools should teach AI tools in the open, or stores shouldn't sell energy drinks to under-18s.

Every idea below is a thesis worth a debate, with ethos, pathos and logos in reach: statistics to cite, a story to tell and the counterargument your listeners will raise.

Technology & Artificial Intelligence
School & Campus Life
Health & Well-Being
Environment & Society

Persuasive speech topics by theme and time

Technology & Artificial Intelligence

AI in Education

Schools should teach students to use AI tools in the open, with clear honesty rules.

Starter fact: Pew Research Center: 26% of US teens 13 to 17 used ChatGPT for schoolwork in 2024, up from 13% in 2023.
Fits: 10 minutes, General public

They will say: Cheating gets easier.

Digital Literacy

Every middle school should teach students to check a source before they share it.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Parents can teach that.

Algorithm Transparency

Social apps should show users why each post landed in their feed.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: It exposes trade secrets.

Quiet Chats

Group chats should go quiet after 10 p.m. by default.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Night owls lose out.

School Esports

Competitive video gaming should count as a school sport.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Gaming is not exercise.

Robot Drivers

Self-driving cars should pass the same road test as human drivers.

Fits: 10 minutes, General public

They will say: Software needs other tests.

Easy Deletion

Every app should offer a one-tap way to delete your account and data.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Companies need that data.

Library Laptops

Public libraries should lend laptops and hotspots like books.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Devices get lost.

Deepfake Labels

Videos that fake a real person's face or voice should carry a visible label.

Fits: 5 minutes, A panel or judges

They will say: Labels get cropped out.

Coding Credit

Coding should count toward a high school language requirement.

Fits: 5 minutes, A panel or judges

They will say: Code is not a language.

School & Campus Life

Mental Health Days

Students should get two excused mental health days each semester.

Starter fact: CDC: In 2023, 40% of US high school students had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
Fits: 10 minutes, A panel or judges

They will say: Students will skip tests.

Group Project Grading

Group projects should give each student an individual grade.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Teamwork is the point.

Financial Literacy

A personal finance class should be required to graduate high school.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Schedules are already full.

Dress Code Input

Students should help write the school dress code.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Adults set the rules.

Five Basic Meals

Every student should learn to cook five basic meals before graduating.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Families teach cooking.

Content Over Calm

Class presentations should be graded on content, not on how calm you look.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Delivery is a skill too.

Presentation Finals

One final exam per year should be replaced by a public presentation.

Fits: 5 minutes, A panel or judges

They will say: Shy students suffer.

Middle School Recess

Recess should continue through middle school.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: It cuts class time.

Student Budgets

Student government should control a real share of the school budget.

Fits: 5 minutes, A panel or judges

They will say: Teens lack experience.

Homework Breaks

Homework should be optional over long weekends.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Students fall behind.

Health & Well-Being

Caffeine & Energy Drinks

Stores should not sell energy drinks to anyone under 18.

Starter fact: FDA: Energy drinks generally carry 54 to 328 mg of caffeine per 16 fluid ounces, and medical experts advise against them for children and teens.
Fits: 10 minutes, General public

They will say: Coffee has no age limit.

Junk Food Marketing

Junk food ads should be banned from shows and apps made for kids.

Fits: 10 minutes, General public

They will say: Parents decide, not ads.

First Aid Training

Every high school student should learn CPR and basic first aid before graduating.

Fits: 5 minutes, A panel or judges

They will say: Training costs money.

Soda Labels

Sugary drinks should carry warning labels.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: People ignore labels.

Gym Choice

Gym class should let students choose their activity.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Everyone picks the easiest.

Outdoor Prescriptions

Doctors should be able to prescribe time outdoors.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Parks are not everywhere.

Screen Counters

Social apps should show a daily time-used counter by default.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Phones already track it.

Park Sunscreen

Free sunscreen should be available in every public park.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Refills cost money.

Label Reading

Every teen should learn to read a nutrition label.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: That is common sense.

Paid Checkups

Workers should get paid time off for medical appointments.

Fits: 5 minutes, A panel or judges

They will say: Small firms cannot pay.

Environment & Society

Fast Fashion Taxes

Clothing brands should pay a fee for the garments that end up in landfills.

Starter fact: EPA: The US generated 17 million tons of textiles in 2018; 11.3 million tons went to landfills and the recycling rate was 14.7%.
Fits: 10 minutes, A panel or judges

They will say: Clothes will cost more.

Public Transit Access

Buses and trains should be free for students and young workers.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Taxpayers foot the bill.

Overconsumption by Influencers

Shopping haul videos should carry the same ad label as any paid post.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Not every haul is paid.

Native Plants

Every park should trade one lawn for native plants.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Lawns are for playing.

Unsold Food

Grocery stores should have to donate unsold food that is still safe to eat.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Stores fear lawsuits.

Bike Parking

Every new building should include bike parking.

Fits: 5 minutes, A panel or judges

They will say: It raises building costs.

Cutlery on Request

Plastic cutlery should be opt-in for takeout orders.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: People forget to ask.

Voting at Sixteen

The voting age for local elections should drop to 16.

Fits: 10 minutes, A panel or judges

They will say: Teens copy their parents.

Right to Repair

Phone owners should be free to repair their own devices.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Home repairs are unsafe.

Parking Trees

Cities should plant a tree for every new parking space.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Trees need upkeep.

Work & Money

Salary Ranges

Job ads should list the salary range.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Employers lose leverage.

Paid Internships

Unpaid internships should be banned.

Fits: 10 minutes, A panel or judges

They will say: Fewer internships would exist.

Wages Over Tips

Tipping should be replaced by fair wages.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Menu prices will rise.

Teen Banking

Teens should be able to open a bank account on their own at 16.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Scammers target teens.

Four Day Week

State governments should test a four-day work week.

Fits: 10 minutes, General public

They will say: Services would slow.

Personal Days

Every worker should get one paid personal day each quarter.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Costs add up.

Shorter Meetings

Meetings should default to 25 minutes.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: Big topics need time.

Remote Work

Remote work should be a right for jobs that can be done from home.

Fits: 10 minutes, A panel or judges

They will say: Teams lose touch.

Training Budgets

Companies should publish how much they spend on training per employee.

Fits: 5 minutes, General public

They will say: That is private business.

Plain Contracts

Every first job should come with a written contract in plain words.

Fits: 5 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Small shops lack lawyers.

Fun & Light

Breakfast for Dinner

Breakfast for dinner should be a weekly tradition.

Fits: 2 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Pancakes are not dinner.

Cats First

Cats make better first pets than dogs.

Fits: 2 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Dogs teach responsibility.

Juggling

Everyone should learn to juggle three balls.

Fits: 2 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Nobody needs it.

Board Games

Board games beat video games for a family night.

Fits: 2 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Video games are social too.

Window Seat

The window seat is the best seat on any plane.

Fits: 2 minutes, Classmates

They will say: The aisle is roomier.

Public Pianos

Every town needs a public piano.

Fits: 2 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Neighbors will complain.

Socks and Sandals

Socks with sandals deserve a comeback.

Fits: 2 minutes, Classmates

They will say: It looks odd.

Best Season

Fall is the best season of the year.

Fits: 2 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Summer has vacation.

Handwritten Letters

Handwritten letters should make a comeback.

Fits: 2 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Texts are faster.

Nap Rooms

Every office should have a nap room.

Fits: 2 minutes, Classmates

They will say: Naps look lazy.

Tips for Choosing Persuasive Speech Topics and Delivering Them

Avoid Clichés

A persuasive speech topic is a claim people can reasonably disagree with, narrow enough to argue in your time limit. Per AmberWillo's topic guide, a strong one sparks debate and matches your passion and knowledge to what listeners care about, so opinions shift or people act. Skip the ones every class has heard, like phone bans.

Structure with a Goal

Monroe's Motivated Sequence, built by Alan H. Monroe in the early 1930s, has five steps (AmberWillo's persuasive speaking page covers it):

Attention: hook them.
Need: show the problem.
Satisfaction: give your fix, your main argument, early.
Visualization: picture life after the fix.
Action: end on a firm call to action.

Back It Up

A 2015 meta-analysis in Health Communication found:

Which evidence moves what
Evidence type	Stronger effect on
Statistics	Beliefs and attitudes
A story	Intention to act

Ethos: Why you deserve trust.
Pathos: The feeling behind it.
Logos: The facts and reasoning.

How long should a persuasive speech be?

AmberWillo's speech writing guide says to confirm the exact time limit first and write slightly under it; contest speeches often run 3 to 5 minutes.

Reasons and evidence by time limit
Time limit	How many reasons	Evidence per reason
2 minutes	One	One fact or one story
5 minutes	Two or three	One each
10 minutes	Three, plus a rebuttal	One or two each

Related guides

Your first line decides whether the room listens to your argument at all, so read up on how to start a speech before you write the rest.

Once your claim is set, a plain walkthrough on how to write a speech turns it into an opening, two or three reasons and a close you can time.

Not every speech is an argument, though. A toast needs warmth more than evidence, and best man speech examples show how that sounds when a friend gets it right.

Still unsure whether your assignment calls for persuasion at all? A guide to choosing a speech type for the occasion sorts persuasive, informative and special occasion speeches.

Picked your topic? Turn it into a persuasive speech outline with a thesis, two or three reasons and a call to action.

Also handy: impromptuspeech.com, for days when a topic lands with zero prep time.

Reader questions

What should my topic be for a persuasive speech?

Pick something you care about, that listeners can act on and someone could dispute. Then filter by your time limit.

How long should a speech be?

The time you are given, minus a little. Plan one to three reasons as in the table above.

What are 10 good topics for a speech?

Take the first card of each theme, then add Content Over Calm, Right to Repair, Salary Ranges and Public Pianos.

Can you provide some examples of persuasive speeches?

Two classics: the Gettysburg Address argues the living must finish the work of the fallen, and Kennedy's inaugural address asks what Americans can do for their country.

What is the easiest speech topic?

Any Fun & Light card: low stakes, opinions you already hold. Say it once out loud before you commit.

What are 100 good topics for a persuasive essay?

All 60 claims work as essays. An essay can hold more statistics; a speech needs one story.

Sources

Statistical vs narrative evidence, Health Communication, 2015, PMID 24836931.
Teens and ChatGPT, Pew Research Center, 2025.
2023 YRBS results, CDC, 2023.
Textiles data, EPA.
Caffeine limits, FDA.
The Gettysburg Address, National Park Service.
Kennedy's inaugural address, National Archives.
Persuasive speech topics, AmberWillo.
Persuasive speaking, AmberWillo.
How to write a speech, AmberWillo.