Hancock County prepares for primary election

Jody O'Brien, director of the Hancock County Board of Elections, said county ballots for Ohio's May 3 primary are being prepped, as directed Wednesday by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. "We're working to get them programmed in (to the voting machines)," O'Brien said. She said "blank spaces" will hold room for the unknowns, like the U.S. Congressional Districts. The candidate filing deadline for the districts was 4 p.m. Friday, with filing required in the most populous county. For the 5th Congressional District, under the newly redrawn map approved by the Ohio Redistricting Commission on March 2, that's now Loraine County — a new addition to the district, which stretches further east. U.S. Rep. Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, has represented the 5th District since 2007, and is seeking reelection. As of Friday afternoon, he was still the only Republican candidate listed as registered for the district's GOP primary. There were two Democrats: Jeffrey Agan and Craig Swartz. Still at issue is whether Ohio's legislative maps are constitutional, now less than two months before the primary election. O'Brien said election boards are running out of time. The federal deadline to mail absentee ballots overseas and to military members is March 18. O'Brien said Hancock County's elections board is capable of printing its own ballots to meet that deadline, which adds some leeway. So far, no one has requested an overseas or military ballot from Hancock County, she said. Early in-person voting begins April 5 and includes the Saturday, Sunday and Monday before Election Day. The deadline to register to vote in the election is April 4. O'Brien said that using the voting machines instead of paper ballots eliminates the need for large-scale printing of the ballots and more rigid deadlines. State officials issue warning On Monday, county election officials told state lawmakers that many of Ohio's 88 counties will be unable to run a successful election on May 3, and that "more counties lose that ability each day." The warning came from the Ohio Association of Election Officials in a letter to Republican Senate President Matt Huffman dated Feb. 28, asking him to delay the primary. "There is a saying among election officials that 'It takes three things to run a successful election: time, money and people.' You can always get more money and more people, but you can't get more time," wrote the association's president, Brian Sleeth, and vice president, Sherry Poland. (Sleeth and Poland are the respective directors of elections in Warren and Hamilton counties.) In the letter, they said "critical functions" of the election, like ballot proofing and testing of equipment, will be delayed and then rushed. "The result will likely be mistakes in the election," they said. "This is not how we want to do business, but it is the only option currently left open to us." Grant: 419-427-8412