Voters in the 15th Congressional District are able to vote in the primaries from now until Aug. 3 — Election Day — as the race for a new representative to replace U.S. Representative Steve Stivers continues.
As previously reported, back in May Stivers (R-Upper Arlington) stepped down from his seat to lead the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. Since then a number of individuals — both Republican and Democrat — have announced their run for the position to represent the district in Congress.
In an effort to cut down on confusion, the Record-Herald reached out to Fayette County Board of Elections Director Karla Morrison to see which Fayette County voters are eligible to vote in this special primary.
“The 15th Congressional District is the lower part of Fayette County,” Morrison explained via email on Tuesday. “It includes all of Concord/Green, Jasper split two, all of Perry, Union South West split two and all of Wayne.”
The 10th Congressional District makes up the remaining portion of Fayette County. Voters who reside within the 10th District are not eligible to vote in this special primary election.
Ohio’s 15th Congressional District includes Clinton, Fairfield, Hocking, Madison, Morgan, Perry, Pickaway and Vinton counties. Areas of Fayette, Athens, Franklin and Ross counties are also in the district.
Eligible voters within the district will have the opportunity to vote early at the board of elections office. According to Morrison, the voters can visit Monday through Friday between now and July 23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., from July 26-30 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, July 31 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 1 from 1 to 5 p.m. and on Monday Aug. 2 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Eligible voters can also request a ballot by mail or vote on Election Day, August 3, at their polling location from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.,” Morrison wrote in the email. “If requesting a ballot to be mailed, we must have your completed application received at the board office by noon on July 31.”
According to Morrison, on the official Democrat Primary Ballot there are two candidates: Greg Betts and Allison Russo. On the official Republican Primary Ballot there are 12 candidates with one having withdrawn: John Adams, Mike Carey, Eric M. Clark, Thad Cooperrider, Ruth Edmonds, Ron Hood, Thomas Hwang, Stephanie Kunze, Jeff LaRe, Bob Peterson, Omar Tarazi and Brian Stewart, who has withdrawn.
Morrison also encouraged voters to visit www.boe.ohio.gov/fayette/ which will show early vote hours, the sample ballots of candidates running on each party ballot and allows you to print the absentee application.
“It would be a great resource for our voters,” Morrison wrote via email. “If voters are unsure if they are in the 15th Congressional District, they are welcome to call us at 740-335-1190 or stop by the office at 135 S. Main Street in Washington Court House. It is extremely unusual for us to have a Primary Election in August and it’s important that people in the 15th Congressional District get out and vote!”
The information in this article was provided by the Fayette County Board of Elections Director Karla Morrison.
Reach Martin Graham at (740) 463-9684 or on Twitter @MartiTheNewsGuy.
