Signatures on candidate’s petition valid

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — Marianne Hallapy will be on the ballot May 5 in the Democratic primary election for Hubbard City Council’s 1st Ward seat.

Incumbent council member Bonnie Viele, D-1st, questioned the validity of several signatures on Hallapy’s petition because of the use of “ditto marks” and party affiliation of some signers. Both women are Democrats.

The Trumbull County Board of Elections met Thursday and determined that neither the ditto marks or party affiliation were cause for the signatures to be ruled invalid, said Jodi Fiorenzo-Dibble, elections board deputy director.

The ditto marks were used one time on the form to represent the date one of the signatures was placed on the form, which is allowable under guidelines from the Ohio Secretary of State, Fiorenzo-Dibble said.

There were four signers whose status as “undeclared” was questioned, but none of the four had voted in the primary in either of the last two primaries, so their signatures were valid, she added.