Columbiana Co. ballot recount set March 27

By D.A. Wilkinson

Columbiana Co. ballot recount set March 27

Election decisions won’t be available until late this month.

LISBON — The Columbiana County Board of Elections plans to recount ballots later this month, but final votes still may not be clear.

Because this is a presidential election year, the board must wait for 20 days before a formal count instead of the usual 10 days.

The results given on election night are called complete but unofficial. Election boards must make their formal count and certify it to the Ohio Secretary of State between March 25 and March 29.

Lois Gall, director of the county board of elections, said Monday the county plans to make its count March 27. No time has been set.

From now until the count, board workers will be checking about 518 provisional ballots, which used to be generally known as write-in votes. They include people who have moved within the county but didn’t change their address or just moved into the county.

“It’s not uncommon for us to have a large number of provisional ballots,” Gall said.

The official count may not tell the entire story.

The proposed Children Services levy was defeated by a wide margin with 18,330 against to 10,993 in favor. That’s unlikely to change, Gall said.

But the Columbiana Park levy that won in Columbiana County by 61 votes may or may not change when votes from Mahoning County are added.

Other votes that include areas outside the county are the Columbiana County Joint Vocational School that lost a second bid for a capital improvement levy by a vote of 13,418 against to 4,719 for the tax. The participating school districts in the county have students in Mahoning County, as well as Carroll and Jefferson counties.

In another development, Gall said the rain water that flooded parts of the election board on election night has been removed. There was no damage.

Now the board offices will be cleaned to prevent mold and mildew, she said.

The leaks were caused by heavy rains and a tennis ball that clogged a roof drain.

wilkinson@vindy.com