Board clears up election issues

Several polling places were changed for Tuesday's primary election.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County Board of Elections officials clarified a few items voters might need to know before Tuesday's primary election.
They also successfully tested their touch-screen voting and tallying equipment Friday.
First, there are four political candidates who will appear on various ballots in the county who have withdrawn from the race. Votes for these candidates will not count, said Kelly S. Pallante, board director.
They are: Joe H. Williams, who withdrew from the race for county commissioner; Jim Trakas, who withdrew for Ohio secretary of state; Hugh Quill, who withdrew for Ohio treasurer; and Michael McMillion, who withdrew for Democrat Central Committee member in Warren's 1L precinct.
The reason their names still appear on the ballot, she explained, is that directives from the Ohio Secretary of State say that paper ballots and electronic voting machines must contain identical information. The paper ballots, such as absentee ballots, were printed up before the candidates had withdrawn from their races.
Confusion on candidate
Elections officials say political advertisements appear to have some Trumbull residents confused about the campaign of state Sen. Charles A. Wilson Jr., a St. Clairsville Democrat, who is running as a write-in candidate for 6th District Congress.
Trumbull County is in the 17th and 14th congressional districts, Pallante said, so no voters in the county will be eligible to vote for Wilson, she said. The 6th District includes parts of 12 counties, including Columbiana and Mahoning, but not Trumbull.
As another clarification, Pallante said the new voter identification provisions of federal election law will not take effect until either a special election in August or at the November election this year. Identification is not needed for most voters on Tuesday, she said.
Only about 300 voters will be required to show identification at this election, and they have all been notified of the requirement, Pallante said. They are voters who mailed their registration to the board of elections since 2003 and had not previously provided a Social Security number or driver's license, she said.
Polling-place changes
One other change for this election is that eight Trumbull County polling places have been changed since last election. Voters affected by the changes were notified of the changes by postcard 30 days before the election, Pallante said.
The locations are:
St. Cyril Methodius School in Warren instead of Beth Israel Temple, Trumbull Community Action Program building instead of Rebecca Williams Community House in Warren, Girard City Hall Gym instead of Boardman Medical Supply or First Christian Church in Girard, the Braceville Fire Department instead of Braceville United Methodist Church, the Howland Township Administration Building instead of the Howland Police and Fire Station.
Precincts were moved between First United Methodist Church and the Hubbard Township Fire Department on West Liberty Street so that each facility will contain voters from either Hubbard or Hubbard Township -- but not both. Hubbard Township Precinct B voters have been moved to the church; Hubbard precinct 1B voters have been moved to the fire station.
runyan@vindy.com