Provisional votes to decide race

The final results could take a month.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
Randy Pope went to bed at 2 a.m. Wednesday with a small 25-vote lead over Brant Luther in the 61st Ohio House District Republican primary with one precinct left to count.
When he woke up a short while later, Pope, of Alliance, learned he lost the race in Paris Township Precinct 2 in Stark County by 35 votes, and his advantage was gone. Instead, Pope trails Luther, also of Alliance, by 10 votes, according to unofficial results.
The race is far from over.
There are still about 100 to 200 provisional ballots to be counted. People vote on a provisional basis if they've recently moved before the primary. County elections boards have at least 10 days after a primary and no later than 15 days to begin verifying the eligibility of provisional voters.
The 61st District takes in the southern portion of Mahoning County as well as portions of Stark and Tuscarawas counties and all of Carroll County.
The seat is being vacated by state Rep. John Boccieri, a New Middletown Democrat who is running for the Ohio Senate's 33rd District seat. Boccieri has won three two-term races for the seat, beating Pope in the 2002 and 2004 general elections.
The winner of the Republican primary will face Mark D. Okey of Carrollton in November.
Automatic recount
After provisional votes are counted, an automatic recount is conducted if the margin of victory is 0.5 of 1 percent. Luther's unofficial margin of victory as of Wednesday was 0.12 of 1 percent.
The final result probably won't be known for about a month, the candidates say.
"Obviously, the hope is to swing the votes," said Pope, a former Alliance councilman who works at Longaberger Manufacturing. "I'm hopeful I can win."
Luther, a staff attorney for the Stark County Probate Court who is a former Alliance councilman and county auditor, also didn't stay up all night waiting for the final results, delayed because of a voting issue in Stark County. But he received a call early Wednesday telling him he was winning with all the votes counted.
The votes in that precinct were misplaced at the Stark County Board of Elections, said Jeff Matthews, its director.
Pope defeated Luther in Mahoning, Carroll and Tuscarawas counties. But Luther won Stark, the home county for the two candidates. Stark also has the most voters in the House district.
Besides recounts for some precinct committee member races in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, the only recounts expected in the Valley are for a Maplewood school tax issue and a liquor option in Cortland.
The Maplewood 5.5-mill, 5-year additional levy would raise $505,805 annually for emergency requirements at the school. It won 971 to 961 with 8 provisional ballots to be counted.
Also, a request to sell wine and mixed beverages on Sundays at Speedway Beverage, 548 S. Mecca St. in Cortland Precinct F lost 101-100 with no provisional ballots to be counted.
skolnick@vindy.com
Contributor: Ed Runyan of The Vindicator Trumbull staff.