ELECTION UPDATE | Sales tax still winning, Sciortino increases lead over Meacham

YOUNGSTOWN — With 32 percent of the vote counted in Mahoning County, the 0.75 percent sales tax is clinging to a six percentage point lead. Also, voters so far have strongly backed the county’s children service replacement levy and the library levy.

In county races, Auditor Michael V. Sciortino, a Democrat, has a 10 percentage point lead over Republican challenger Ralph Meacham.

Also Probate Court Judge Robert Rusu is trailing challenger Susan Maruca, a Democrat, by about 10 percentage points. The voters in this tally are those who cast ballots early as well as complete results from Youngstown’s 5th, 6th and 7th wards, and a portion of its 1st and 4th wards as well as most of Campbell and Struthers.

In Youngstown, the anti-fracking Community Bill of Rights is on its way to fourth consecutive defeat, losing by 16 percentage points. Meanwhile, the ward-reduction charter amendment is up by about five and a half percentage points.

All Democratic Party statewide challengers are winning in the county; however, Ed FitzGerald, the party’s gubernatorial candidate, is clinging to a 283-vote lead over incumbent Republican John Kasich.

Check Vindy.com for updates throughout the evening.