Elections board rules write-in candidate ineligible

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning County Board of Elections voted to not permit Brandon J. Kovach to run as a Democratic write-in candidate for county auditor.

Kovach, of Austintown, had filed as a write-in after the board disqualified him as an auditor candidate on the May 8 primary ballot because he didn’t have enough valid signatures on his nominating petitions. Kovach filed petitions with 66 signatures, but only 45 were ruled valid. He needed at least 50 to qualify as a candidate.

The board voted 4-0 Tuesday to not permit Kovach to run as a write-in candidate.

“A person who’s filed a declaration of candidacy who’s been disqualified may not then file as a write-in candidate for the same office,” said board Chairman Mark Munroe.

The board voted to allow Roger Chamberlain of Youngstown to run as a Democratic write-in candidate for county auditor. If he gets at least 50 write-in votes in the primary, he will be the Democratic nominee for the position and face incumbent Republican Ralph T. Meacham of Lake Milton in the general election.