Elections board deputy to retire in February

STAFF REPORT

LISBON — Lois Gall, the Republican deputy director of the Columbiana County Board of Elections, announced at Thursday’s meeting she will be retiring Feb. 27.

Gall, of Hanoverton, has worked for the board for 16 years and has served as the director. She helped the county develop its computerized voting system that includes paper ballots to protect the integrity of the vote.

Gall had said she would know when it was time to retire. That time, she said, came right before this month’s election. County Republicans will name a replacement.

The election results were unchanged by the official count. Five percent of the vote, however, will be counted again by hand as a safeguard.

The elections board voted to pay $6.55 an hour — the prevailing wage — to election workers who are members of the opposite party to ride with the precinct’s top official when the ballots are returned to the election headquarters in Lisbon.