Richland County Common Pleas Court Judge - Probate Division
Richland County, Ohio
My vote power
Below average
Election date
November 3, 2026 · General election
How do we calculate my vote power?
What goes into the rating: Representation: how much weight one vote carries here compared with a statewide vote — the smaller the district, the more each vote counts. Decisiveness: how likely this race is to be close, based on past results or current analyst ratings, plus the number of candidates.
Representation: High · 71 out of 100
This district is a small slice of its state, so each vote here carries much more weight than a vote in a statewide race. About 125,099 people live here.
Show the representation math
score = 50 + 50 × ln(state population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50 + 50 × ln(11,810,293 ÷ 125,099) ÷ ln(50,000) = 71.02, measured against a statewide vote in OH (grades: 66+ high, 55+ above average, 33+ average, otherwise low; a statewide race is the 50 baseline)
Decisiveness: None · only 1 candidate
One candidate is running unopposed, so votes can't change the outcome.
High representation + an uncontested race → My vote power: Below average.
About this office
- Deciding trials in the county
- Ruling on evidence and setting sentences in criminal cases
- Deciding family, probate, and civil disputes
Affects: Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Civil Rights,
Candidates
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Kelly L. Badnell is the Richland County Common Pleas Court Probate Division judge. She previously served as an assistant county prosecutor and practiced civil litigation before taking the bench.
Sources: boe.ohio.gov · lookup.boe.ohio.gov · ohiosos.gov