Several school board, township and village races and issues are also on the ballot.
Deputy Director of the Clark County Board of Elections Amber Lopez said that the office has “stayed busy for sure” during the early voting period. As of Wednesday, there had been 7,885 applications for early voting, of which 5,219 voted in the office.
Lopez said there have been consistent short lines with several hundred people coming to vote daily, but no significant waits at the elections office during early voting.
“There’s pretty consistently a line of people, but they’re being processed fairly quickly even though the ballot is fairly long and has ... a lot of text for people to read and things for people to think over,” Lopez said. “There is a lot on the ballot, but they seem to be getting through those pretty quickly.”
It’s important for voters to know they are required to have a valid photo ID — like a state ID or passport — to vote, Director Jason Baker said last month. Otherwise, they can vote provisional and bring in a valid ID before Nov. 13.
“Let’s say I go to vote on Election Day or even come in early to vote in and my license is expired,” Baker said. “I have until the 13th of November to go to the BMV and update my license or renew my license, and I bring a copy of that or the interim paperwork. You bring that in and show that to us, and then we’ll mark on the envelope, ‘Yes. We saw a valid ID.’”
Lopez said state IDs or driver’s licenses do not have to have a current address on them as long as they are still valid.
Voters can return their absentee ballots to their election board in person, or a nearby relative can deliver it on their behalf. The board of elections must receive the ballot no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
Lopez said that the last day for early voting is today, and the Board of Elections will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. This may mean longer wait times, she said.
One polling location has changed for voters in the HARM 1 precinct. Instead of voting at the Northeastern athletic complex on Tuesday, voters will cast ballots at the Harmony Twp. Fire Department at 11000 E. National Road in South Vienna. The change is due to construction and demolition of the athletic complex.
Polls across Ohio will be open Tuesday from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
Clark County
Candidates
Here are the contested races locally:
Clark County Clerk of Municipal Court
Incumbent Democrat Sheila Rice will face off with Republican John Anderson. Rice was appointed clerk of courts after the previous clerk, Guy Ferguson, died in the middle of his term.
New Carlisle City Council
Five candidates are vying for four seats on the New Carlisle City Council. Incumbents Vice Mayor Dale Grimm and council member Peggy Eggleston face Charlotte Farley-Seeger, Chris Shamy and Kathy Wright.
Springfield City Commission
Incumbent Kevin O’Neill will defend his seat against Tracey Tackett. O’Neill, a Springfield native and commissioner since 1992, also served as mayor in 1996-97 and as assistant mayor in 2004-05. Tackett is a small business owner who is also involved in the Springfield Arts, Greater Springfield Partnership and Habitat for Humanity.
North Hampton Mayor
Jeffery Weaver and Brian Welbaum will face off for the position.
Bethel Twp. Trustee
Alec Ashbaugh and Steve Coppess will face off for one seat on the Bethel Twp. Trustees.
Springfield Twp. Trustee
Incumbent Tim Foley is running against Ryan Ruf.
Northeastern Local School District Board of Education
Four people are running for two seats on the board. Jeff Caivano, Jacqueline Allison Gray, Jim McNamee and Blake Shaffer will be on the ballot.
Southeastern Local School District Board of Education
For three seats, incumbents Greg Flax and Kim Owens will face challengers Jeff Banion, David Farrell and Shawn Jackson.
Northwestern Local School District Board of Education
No one will be on the ballot for two open seats, but three people have filed paperwork as write-ins. They are David E. Aills Jr., Matthew Cox and Eric Benjamin Renegar.
Issues
Here are the issues that will be on the ballot:
Springfield and Clark County
The Springfield - Clark Career Technology Center is proposing an additional 1.4-mill levy that would cost $49 annually for the owner of a $100,000 home. CTC leaders are asking voters to OK the local cost to build a new school.
The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Clark, Greene and Madison Counties is requesting a 1.65-mill renewal levy that will not raise taxes. It would provide funds for mental health and addiction treatment and prevention, and operating, maintaining, constructing and acquiring mental health and addiction facilities.
United Senior Services is also requesting a renewal levy, for 1.4 mills that will not raise taxes. The levy would fund services or facilities for older adults and allow USS to give financial assistance to nonprofits to establish and operate programs through USS.
Green Twp.
Green Twp. Fire District #1 will ask for a 10-year levy of 1.5 mills, which would cost $52.50 for the owner of a $100,000 home. The tax would go toward additional fire protection, fire and rescue services, to provide and maintain fire apparatus, mechanical resuscitator and other fire equipment an appliances, buildings and sites, sources of water supply and materials and to help establish and maintain lines of fire alarm communications.
Springfield Twp.
Springfield Twp. will ask voters for a new five-year levy for 1 mill to maintain the township’s current contracted deputy and law enforcement services and add a second shift. It would cost $35 per $100,000 home.
In Springfield Twp., voters will decide if a five-year tax levy to operate ambulance services will be renewed. It would not raise taxes and would first be due in 2025.
Pike Twp.
Pike Twp. is asking for a renewal of a 3-mill fire, ambulance and emergency services five-year levy.
Moorefield Twp.
A five-year renewal levy of 1-mill will pay for general construction, reconstruction, resurfacing and the repair of streets, roads and bridges.
Village of Enon
Enon will ask for a five-year renewal levy for current “operating expenses” at no more than 2 mills.
German Twp., excluding Tremont City
Voters will decide if a five-year tax levy to maintain roads in German Twp. will be renewed. It is for 0.5 mill.
German Twp. is also asking for the renewal of five-year levy to provide and maintain police services at a rate not exceeding 1 mill.
Madison Twp., including South Charleston
Madison Twp. and South Charleston are asking for a replacement of a five-year levy to provide and maintain fire equipment and building services at a rate not to exceed 1.7 mills. It would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $59.50 each year.
The township and village are also asking for a replacement of another five-year levy to provide ambulance service, emergency medical services or both at a rate of no more than 1 mill. This would be $35 annually for the owner of a $100,000 home.
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