Three write-ins elected to Liberty Board of Education, two to McDonald board

Three write-ins elected to Liberty Board of Education, two to McDonald board

Staff report

WARREN

Complete but unofficial vote totals released Wednesday for Liberty Board of Education show that the three write-in candidates who ran — Carmen Faustino, Calvin L. Jones and Gloria H. Lang — were all elected.

It was one of two school districts with school board vacancies filled by write-in candidates.

Kelly Pallante, elections board director, said it is the first time she remembers there being a race in Trumbull County in which all two or three seats were filled by write-ins. And there were two examples of it this election, with something similar happening in the McDonald school board race.

All three Liberty candidates ran as a write-in after no one filed valid petitions to get their name on the ballot the usual way.

Lang led with 361 votes, Faustino was second with 358 and Jones was third with 193.

Lang is a current board member who did not submit petitions to run for re-election but took steps to run as a write-in later.

Jones is currently filling an unexpired term that he was appointed to Dec. 10, 2012.

In McDonald, Robert L. Jones Jr. and Joseph Krumpak Jr. received the most votes out of four write-in candidates.

Jones, who received 193 votes to lead the way, and Krumpak, who was second with 172 votes, were joined by write-ins Brian D. Fisher and Tegan L. Stitt.

One race Tuesday — for Warren Township trustee — involved a tie between Robert Bush and Phillip Fletcher, who both had 291 votes, the second-highest vote total behind Kay Anderson.

Pallante said there are up to three absentee ballots and up to 10 provisional ballots yet to be counted in the race.

The Trumbull County Board of Elections meets Nov. 15 to review those ballots and approve or deny them based on whether they meet requirements. If there is a tie, a coin flip will decide the outcome.

The final certification of the votes will take place at a Nov. 25 meeting.