Absentee ballots are in

Absentee ballots in Mahoning County are in and the Boardman Township and Youngstown school levies are losing.

The Boardman 4.1-mill, 5-year additional levy only has 35.3 percent support from absentee voters. The Youngstown school’s 9.5-mill, 5-year additional levy has 38.4 percent of the absentee vote.

Overall, 6,357 people voted absentee in the county.

Of Youngstown’s four charter amendments to overhaul the city’s park and recreation commission, the first three are winning strong among absentee voters.

The final charter amendment is losing 52.1 percent to 47.9 percent. That amendment is to remove an entire section of the charter that gives the commission the power to issue bonds or levy a tax when it deems it necessary. However, the language only mentions that the charter section is to be removed and doesn’t indicate what the section states on absentee ballots.

As for mayoral races, John E. Dill, the Campbell incumbent, has 430 absentee votes compared to 303 for Tony Fontes, his challenger. Timothy D. Sicafuse has 64 absentee votes in his bid to be Poland mayor. Republican John H. Yerian III is in second with 52 votes. Ralph J. Mentzer trails with 12 votes.

Larry Moliterno is leading among absentee voters for the Boardman trustee race.

In the Youngstown school board race, incumbent Shelley Murray is the top vote-getter among seven candidates for four seats. The rest of the top four include Michael J. Murphy, outgoing city Councilman Richard W. Atkinson and Anthony Catale. The only other incumbent, Mike Write, in the race is in sixth place.