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Can DNA tests free ex-Akron captain?
Victim of beating in Kent last week is declared dead at Akron hospital
Green High senior goes extra mile for those who walk and jog the park trails
Community, school and military news roundup
Tragedy to hope: Family creates foundation for bereavement therapy
Visiting new Navy ship brings back memories for Doylestown man serves on USS New York in 1930s
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Victim of beating in Kent last week is declared dead at Akron hospital
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Can DNA tests free ex-Akron captain?
Browns' roster nearly devoid of consistent players
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
Does it work? Test team returns to try out new products advertised on television
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
Browns vs. Lions live …
Akron Zips:
Akron trounces Howard to reach .500
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Robiskie, Harrison inactive
Kent State Sports:
Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 47-13
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Four area football teams play tonight
All Da King's Men:
The Sunday Sanity Challenge
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (69) The Brookings Institute Study on "Bending the Curve" – Four General Strategies
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
A Random Rant on Testing
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
Republicans on board worry about extra burden on the budget for 2008
By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Saturday, Sep 06, 2008
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner broke tie votes Friday by the Summit County elections board in favor of extended hours for the county's absentee voting site.
Brunner's decision means the Job Center where in-person absentee voting will be offered for the November election will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
''A county with a large number of registered voters and a complex economy such as Summit County needs to accommodate the work schedules of as many voters as possible by offering extended weekday and weekend voting hours,'' Brunner said, siding with fellow Democrats on the elections board.
The Republicans on the Summit board had argued for more limited hours in light of board and county budget problems.
''What we've got here is another unfunded mandate,'' said Brian Daley, a Republican board member. ''It will not add much value and will cost the taxpayers.''
Brunner's decision wasn't unexpected, as she had already voted in favor of extended hours in Franklin County, which will also have a special site for people to vote absentee this fall.
Nov. 4 will be the first presidential election in which anyone in Ohio can vote absentee for any reason, and it can be done by mail or in person.
To avoid the long lines and traffic problems that the Summit board
had in the March primary, the board decided to have an alternate location where voters can cast absentee ballots. They chose the Job Center, a county building at 1040 E. Tallmadge Ave.
Summit County is anticipating that starting Sept. 30, as many as 100,000 people may vote absentee for the Nov. 4 election.
Marijean Donofrio and Bryan Williams, the board's director and deputy director, will go before County Council on Monday to ask for $615,000 more to get the board through the year. The county gave the board less than it requested for this year and the board anticipated needing to request more.
Board members are hoping that less than $615,000 will be needed because of surpluses in several areas of the board's budget.
The request, however, comes at a bad time, as county officials are expected to dip into reserves to close a projected $8.4 million spending gap in the county's operating budget.
Daley estimated that the extended hours will cost between $21,000 and $54,000, depending on staffing levels.
Wayne Jones, a Democratic board member, said county officials have signed off on the extended hours, which were included in the board's budget. He predicted that county and board officials would work out the board's budget issues.
''They recognize that democracy's not cheap,'' he said. ''This is money we are not throwing away. We're spending it wisely.''
Jones said having a larger, more accessible location for people to vote absentee should alleviate lines on Election Day.
''This should save Election Day problems,'' he said.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.
com.
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner broke tie votes Friday by the Summit County elections board in favor of extended hours for the county's absentee voting site.
Get the full article here.
