Wednesday, December 23, 2015
YOUNGSTOWN
The Mahoning County Board of Elections has disqualified a challenger to county Commissioner David C. Ditzler in the March 15 Democratic primary, meaning Ditzler will have no primary opposition.
Disqualified was E. Richard Berger of Youngstown, who submitted only 46 valid signatures from registered county Democrats on his declaration-of-candidacy petition.
Berger submitted a total of 52 signatures, of which six were ruled invalid, putting him four valid signatures below the total of 50 he needed to qualify for the ballot.
“That’s good news, obviously. You hope that you don’t have to run against an opponent in your own party, and you plan for the November general election,” Ditzler said after Tuesday’s county commissioners’ meeting.
Berger was the only candidate the elections board disqualified.
Ditzler, of Austintown, will have George Levendis of Campbell, a Republican, challenging him in the November general election.
The other county commissioner running for re-election next year is Anthony T. Traficanti of Poland, who has no Democratic primary opposition, but he will be challenged by Republican Adam L. Rutushin of Boardman in November.
Besides approving candidates, the elections board also approved 18 issues, including 10 liquor options, for the March primary ballot.
The only countywide issue on that ballot will be the new 1-mill, five-year senior- citizen services levy.
The elections board honored Richard Nagel, liquor option coordinator, who will retire Dec. 31 after 23 years with the board, and appointed Dante Lewis to replace him.
The board awarded a printing contract for ballots for in-person voting, based on 180,000 voters, to City Printing of Youngstown at 20.5 cents per one-sided ballot, 21.9 cents per two-sided ballot and 42.4 cents per three-sided ballot.
It also awarded a printing and mailing contract based on 40,000 absentee voters to Midwest Presort Mailing Services Inc. of Cleveland at $1.52 per ballot for a one-sided ballot and $1.55 for a two-sided ballot.
Both were the lowest bidders in their respective categories. Both contracts are for two years.
Midwest prints and mails checks for the Social Security and Medicare programs for the entire country, said Joyce Kale-Pesta, elections director.
Midwest’s location is convenient because of its proximity to the Cleveland post office, where mail for the Mahoning Valley is processed, she added.