Elections

Absentee voting for the March 6, 2012 Primary Election is now in progress at the Marion County Board of Elections office, 222 West Center Street, during regular hours. In person absentee voting ends at 6:00 pm on Friday, March 2.

The long, messy process of drawing a new congressional map that won’t face a ballot challenge, and picking a lone primary date that doesn’t confuse voters and cost Ohio $15 million extra, ended yesterday when House Democrats reluctantly agreed to a deal.

Cheryl Johncox recently announced that she has filed the paperwork to be a candidate for the Ohio House of Representatives as a Democrat. After hearing from elected officials and community members about the devastating effects the state budget is having on Union County, the city of Marion and townships and villages across the state, Cheryl felt compelled to act.

In an effort to institute greater accountability in campaign finance, the Ohio House of Representatives voted this week to pass House Bill 326, which imposes a criminal penalty on public officials who knowingly use public funds for political purposes.

State Representative Jeff McClain (R-Upper Sandusky) has announced his candidacy to serve as representative of the 87th Ohio House District—which will include all of Wyandot, Crawford and Morrow counties as well as portions of Seneca and Marion counties—during the 130th General Assembly.

Former Marion County Prosecutor Jim Slagle filed petitions Wednesday morning to run for Judge of the Marion County Common Pleas Court (General Division). The position is currently held by Judge Robert S. Davidson.

Elgin Local Schools Superintendent Bruce Gast has issued the following thank you letter in response to voters' approval of their levy renewal.

A year after Gov. John Kasich and legislative Republicans were swept into office, Ohio voters delivered them a stinging rebuke yesterday, striking down an extensive curtailing of public-union power that Republican leaders had hoped to make a centerpiece accomplishment of 2011.

Americans Elect, a nonprofit group that has set out this year to secure a spot on the ballot in all 50 states for an alternative to the Democratic and Republican presidential tickets, has gathered 1.9 million signatures from individuals who support the idea.

The final, unofficial results are in for the November 8, 2011 General Election. Voters in Marion County said no to every new tax, but approved renewal levies for local schools. The additional tax for Tri-Rivers, along with Turning Point, River Valley, and the sales tax increase for Marion County all failed. Scott Schertzer remains the Mayor of Marion after defeating Jim Gilsdorf by earning nearly 67 percent of the yes votes.