ELECTION UPDATE | Early vote results show sales tax winning, Sciortino leading

YOUNGSTOWN — With 20,165 early votes recorded in Mahoning County, voters are approving the sales tax 10,202 to 9,319. Also, those early voters are approving the county children services replacement levy and the library tax issue by comfortable margins.

In the county auditor race, incumbent Michael V. Sciortino, a Democrat, is ahead of Republican Ralph Meacham 9,853 to 9,023. In the Probate Court race, challenger Susan Maruca leads incumbent Judge Robert Rusu 10,007 to 8,346.

All of the statewide Democrat candidates, except Ed FitzGerald, the party's gubernatorial nominee, are ahead of the Republican incumbents. In the governor's race, incumbent John Kasich has 9,666 to 8,911 for FitzGerald.

In Youngstown, the proposal to reduce the number of wards in the city from seven to five is narrowly ahead, 2,243 voting yes, to 2,156 voting no. Also, the anti-fracking Community Bill of Rights on the ballot for the fourth time is losing 2,563 to 1,816.

Check Vindy.com for updates throughout the evening.