Registered voters still have the opportunity to vote early in the May primary/special election.
The Fayette County Board of Elections will be open for early voting today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday from 1-5 p.m. and Monday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. By the close of the polls on Tuesday, May 2 — Election Day — Ohio voters will have had four weeks to cast their ballots during the early voting period that began on April 4.
The deadline to submit a request to receive an absentee ballot by mail is today at noon, according to Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted. Completed absentee ballots being returned by mail must be postmarked by Monday, May 1 and arrive at the local board of elections within 10 days of the election in order to be counted. Voters who have not yet mailed their ballot are encouraged to drop it off in person at their county board of elections before the polls close at 7:30 p.m. May 2.
Polls will be open throughout the state on Tuesday, May 2 from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
Fayette County voters will get their first experience with the electronic poll books during the primary/special election. At a meeting held in January, Fayette County Board of Elections members decided to participate in Ohio’s electronic poll book purchasing program and purchased electronic poll books from KNOWiNK.
The KNOWiNK Poll Pad is an iPad-based electronic poll book. The new technology will make the voting experience easier for both voters and precinct election officials, according to the local board of elections.
The only local race is the Republican primary for Washington Court House Municipal Court Judge with two vying for the position — incumbent judge Victor Pontious, Jr. and public defense attorney Susan Wollscheid.
The Miami Trace Local School District has a renewal levy with a $500,000 reduction on the ballot. The new five-year term would generate $1.9 million per year for the district.
“We recognize that our taxpayers have provided so much for our district,” said Miami Trace Superintendent David Lewis. “Strong fiscal management has made it possible for us to give back. Although the renewal levy is necessary for the operation of our district, a half-million dollar reduction allows us to continue to provide well-rounded educational opportunities for our students while reducing the financial burden to our local taxpayers.”
This levy will be voted on in 18 precincts and five overlapping counties.
In Union Township, a township 1-mill, five-year replacement levy for fire protection is on the ballot. Three precincts will vote on this measure.
The Paint Valley Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADAMH) Board placed a 10-year, 1-mill levy on the May 2 ballot, which would levy $3 per month on $100,000 of property value. The board, with a service district that includes Fayette, Highland, Pickaway, Pike and Ross counties, is responsible for ensuring a comprehensive array of mental health, addiction treatment and prevention options are available to all residents of the service district. The sheriffs of all five counties served by Paint Valley Mental Health & Prevention District have endorsed the levy.
In the Village of New Holland an additional 2.5-mill, five-year issue will be on the ballot for operating and maintaining the community center. One precinct will vote on this measure.
