UPDATED 12:15 a.m. Wednesday
About 3.3 million votes cast statewide
State Issue 1, to increase the age eligibility for judges, defeated with 62 percent of the vote.
State Issue 2, to affirm Senate Bill 5 regarding public employee unions and benefits, defeated with 61 percent of the vote.
State Issue 3, constitutional amendment to block national health care expansion, approved with 66 percent of the vote.
UPDATED 11:30 p.m. Tuesday
School levy results
Ten of 20 area school levies were approved.
Akron — failed
Aurora — approved
Barberton — failed
Buckeye — failed
Canton — approved
Cloverleaf — failed
Copley-Fairlawn — approved
Crestwood — approved
Field — failed
Lake — failed
Medina — failed
Nordonia Hills — approved
Norton — approved
Osnaburg — failed
Sandy Valley — approved
Stow-Munroe Falls — approved
Streetsboro — approved
Wadsworth — approved
Waterloo — failed
Woodridge — failed
UPDATED 11 p.m.
Mayors elected:
Akron — Plusquellic
Boston Heights — Goncy
Canton — Healy
Hudson — Currin
Lakemore — Justice
Munroe Falls — Larson
Orrville — Handwerk
Peninsula — Mayer
Ravenna — Bica
Stow — Drew
Wooster— Breneman
New taxes in Coventry Township rejected. Akron and Barberton school levies fail.
UPDATED 10:40 p.m.
Municipal judge winners:
Akron — Williams over Knox; Michael over Jones, and Oldfield likely to defeat McCarty
Barberton — Croce over Dyer
Akron municipal court clerk winner: Laria over Omobien
UPDATED 10:25 p.m.
Mayors elected:
Akron — Plusquellic
Canton — Healy
Hudson — Currin
Orrville — Handwerk
Wooster— Breneman
Statewide tally, with about 2.4 million votes processed:
Issue 1 LOSING 62 percent
Issue 2 DEFEATED 61 percent
Issue 3 APPROVED 66 percent
UPDATED 10:05 p.m.
Hudson Mayor William Currin is likely to defeat challenger David Hack in a race affected by controversy over Hack’s military record.
As counties continue to tally votes on Issue 2, Medina County is one of the very few where the majority of votes is in favor of keeping Senate Bill 5.
The Akron school levy is still too close to call with only three more precincts to count.
The Stow-Munore Falls school levy remained too close to call.
UPDATED 9:50 p.m.
The Akron charter amendment allowing public speaking at regular council meetings won overwhelming support.
The Stark County sales tax appears to be headed for approval. Failure of the tax would result in release of jail inmates to cut jail costs.
William J. Healy II re-elected mayor in Canton.
UPDATED 9:30 p.m.
Don Plusquellic has won re-election.
With all but three precincts counted, the Akron school levy is losing by less than 600 votes.
Of about 1 million votes reported to the Ohio Secretary of State, the three statewide issues look like this:
62 percent AGAINST Issue 1 to increase the allowable age of judges
62 percent AGAINST Issue 2, thus repealing Senate Bill 5, which limits public employee unions.
66 percent IN FAVOR of a constitutional amendment limiting the reach of government health care.
UPDATED 9:10 p.m.
Portage County has begun posting results.
http://www.co.portage.oh.us/election/First%2010%20Precincts-1.htm
UPDATED 8:45 p.m.
Of about 570,000 votes reported to the Ohio Secretary of State, the three statewide issues look like this:
61 percent AGAINST Issue 1 to increase the allowable age of judges
63 percent AGAINST Issue 2, thus repealing Senate Bill 5, which limits public employee unions.
65 percent IN FAVOR of a constitutional amendment limiting the reach of government health care.
UPDATED 8:30 p.m.
Summit County has posted about 28,000 absentee ballots.
Among the lopsided numbers are Don Plusquellic for Akron mayor, against the Barberton school levy and defeat of Issue 2.
UPDATED 8:15 p.m.
From the Associated Press:
Voters chose governors in Mississippi and Kentucky on Tuesday, casting ballots that could foreshadow the public’s political mood just two months ahead of the first presidential primary and nearly four years into the worst economic slowdown since the Depression.
A wide range of ballot measures was also being decided, including a hotly debated proposal to restore the bargaining rights of Ohio public employees and a Mississippi referendum on whether to define life as beginning at conception. Supporters of the Mississippi measure hope to use it to mount a legal attack on Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that established the right to abortion.
UPDATED AT 7:35 p.m.
Voting in Ohio ended at 7:30 p.m.
Local boards of elections generally begin reporting results about 9:30 p.m.
Ohio.com will provide summaries of key races and issues throughout the evening.
Detailed results for all races and issues at the county level can be found at local board of elections:
Medina County http://www.boe.co.medina.oh.us/results-1.htm
Portage County http://www.co.portage.oh.us/election/index.html
Stark County http://www.co.stark.oh.us/internet/docs/boe/clgen11.pdf
Summit County http://www.summitcountyboe.com/ElectionResults/Results/elect110811G.htm
Wayne County http://www.votewayne.org/results/index.php
Results from statewide issues will be available at the Ohio Secretary of State’s website, www.sos.state.oh.us .
Here are reports from voting locations throughout the region today:
6 p.m. — Cuyahoga Falls
A poll worker for precinct 7-D said turnout had surpassed 65 percent of eligible voters.
12:30 p.m. — First Baptist Church of Akron, 1670 Shatto Ave., in Akron’s Ward 8.
Turnout was the heaviest I have seen, probably since the Bush-Gore presidential election in 2000.
The parking lot was packed with cars, and Akron Municipal Judge Annalisa Williams and some of her supporters were greeting voters as they arrived in the parking lot. I also saw campaign workers for Jim Laria, running for re-election as Akron’s clerk of courts, and workers for Ward 8 City Council candidate Marilyn Keith carrying campaign signs.
When I went up to vote and told the poll worker my name, he asked to see my ID. I asked him what kind of ID he wanted. He asked for my driver’s license. I told him he was not permitted by law to ask for my license, but that I did not mind giving it to him anyway.
The poll worker had a blank look on his face and did not reply.
— Ed Meyer
11:50 a.m. — Medina County Board of Elections
Medina County is having a large turnout of voters and a lot of people campaigning at the polls. The Board of Elections has taken a number of complaints from people who say campaigners are too close to the polling places, said Carol Gurney, director of the Board of Elections.
She said people don’t understand campaigners are allowed to be on polling sites, they just have to stay behind the flags.
“Most precincts are reporting steady voting, one said the numbers were higher than in the governor’s race last year,” she said.
— Kathy Antoniotti
Lake Township, Stark County
Speaking on Ron Ponder’s radio show on WHBC-AM, Stark County political blogger Martin Olson said his Lake Township Precinct 14 polling place is no longer at the church where he and his wife used to vote. He said he was not notified of the change of his polling location.
Stark County Board of Elections Director Jeannette Mullane (330-451-VOTE) reportedly said postcards were sent to those affected by poll relocations.
— Nancy Molnar
11 a.m. — Northwest Family Recreation Center, Akron
A poll worker said it had been busy all morning. There was only a few-minute wait.
— Jim Carney
11 a.m. — Wayne County Board of Elections
All Wayne County polling places opened on time Tuesday morning, said Board of Elections Director Patty Johns. “We aren’t experiencing any problems,” she said.
— Kathy Antoniotti
10:45 a.m. — Portage County Board of Elections
Portage County voters were not experiencing any problems — at least nothing out of the ordinary, said Board of Elections Director Linda Marcial.
“We projected that we will be in the 34 percent range — that’s average for this (kind of) election.”
Marcial said she didn’t expect state Issue 2 to bring out more voters than usual.
“It didn’t in the absentee voting,” she said.
— Kathy Antoniotti
10:30 a.m. — Stark County Board of Elections
Voting is going smoothly in Stark County, said Board of Elections Director Jeanette Mullane.
“We are anticipating about a 40 percent turnout, typical for this kind of election,” she said.
“We are having the usual problems we deal with, but we troubleshoot for those in advance,” she said.
The county expected voter turnout to be less than a presidential election, even with a countywide 0.5-percent sales tax increase on the ballot for law enforcment and administration.
Mullane predicted the number of voters would be about the same as for any election with similar candidates and issues.
“We call this controlling the chaos,” she said.
— Kathy Antoniotti
9:30 a.m. — Goodyear Heights Metro Park, Akron
Voting experience in East Akron’s Ward 6 area uneventful. Voting went smoothly.
— Kim Barth
9:30 a.m. — Akron General Health & Wellness Center - West, Bath Township
Voting was heavy at Akron General Health & Wellness Center in Bath this morning. Poll workers said about 80 people had voted in the time they normally would have had only seven or eight voters.
— Phil Trexler
9:30 a.m. — First Baptist Church, Akron
The Ward 8 polling place was bustling this morning, with voters, candidates and their supporters.
The closure of King Elementary School for rebuilding moved more precincts to the church than usual.
Marilyn Keith, an Akron City Council candidate, Judge Analissa Williams and supporters of judicial candidates Joy Oldfield and Amy Corgill Jones greeted voters as they walked into the church.
“I know what I’m going to do,” a man told Keith when she tried to talk to him before he marched inside.
A supporter for Oldfield handed out Almond Joy candy bars, while another for Patrick Bravo, a write-in candidate for Akron school board, passed out pens that said, “Fill in the oval and write in Patrick Bravo for Akron school board.” Bravo is among several write-in candidates vying for the third open seat on the board.
— Stephanie Warsmith
9 a.m. — Copley Township
Voting in Copley, I was the 105th voter in my precinct. Poll worker said that was a lot of votes for that time of day.
— Bob Dyer
9 a.m. — Green Middle School, Green
Voting was brisk at Green Middle School, where it took a couple of minutes to get a ballot. Voting at the main fire station on Massillon Road in Green was also busy.
— Doug Oplinger
8:45 a.m. — Heritage Elementary School, Medina
Voting was heavy at Medina’s Heritage Elementary School on Guilford Boulevard.
Poll workers described the turnout as good.
— David Knox
8:30 a.m. — Schmaucher Elementary School, Akron
Voting at Schmaucher Elementary School on Hartford Street was difficult because Copley Road is under construction. Parking at the school was inconvenient because voters had to walk around the fence between the parking lot and the school to get to the polling place.
— Yuvonne Webb
8:30 a.m. — Summit County Board of Elections
Aside from the changes in voting venues in Copley Township, Summit County voting sites experienced few problems, said Board of Elections Director Ron Koehler. There were a few problems with voting machines that needed to be quickly replaced, but nothing that would slow down voting.
— Kathy Antoniotti
7:15 a.m. — Copley High School, Copley Township
People who voted at Copley High School between 7:15 and 8:15 a.m. saw Melissa Dyer, wife of Steve Dyer, candidate for the Barberton Municipal Court District judgeship, standing by herself on the corner of Cleveland-Massillon Road holding a political sign for her husband.
Dyer, a Democrat who was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives for the 43rd District, is running against Barberton Clerk of Courts Christine Croce, a Republican.
— Phil Trexler and Kathy Antoniotti
7:15 a.m. - Copley High School, Copley Township
Just as they were prepared to cast ballots, many of the 900 voters in two Copley Township precincts learned early Tuesday that their usual place of voting had changed. Voters from precincts B and G, who normally vote at Copley High School, were rerouted to the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), 3142 Ridgewood Road, about 1 1/4 miles away. Many of the people turned away at the high school were angry that the Summit County Board of Elections had failed to notify them of change before Tuesday.
Two volunteer poll workers who work part time for the Board of Elections, greeted voters, asked which precincts they voted in and gave them directions to AHEPA.
Bundled against the cold morning, the pair admitted voters were taking their anger out on them.
“They are very upset that the notice of the change was so late,” said one of the poll workers who checked names against voter lists.
“People are saying they are going to write a letter and complain,” she said.
The pair said that by 7:15 a.m., at least two people said they would be unable to vote because of the change of venue.
“I think it’s stupid and totally irresponsible,” said a man who would identify himself only as “Jerry” as he was turned away from the polling place.
Ron Koehler, director of the count Board of Elections, said the mistake occurred because the decision to move the two precincts was made about three months ago and a board employee missed the change when voters were notified of other, more recent changes last month.
“Precincts were moved as part of our plan to find better places to vote,” Koehler said Tuesday.
“Copley High School is not a good location because people have to walk so far to get into the building and it has a lot of steps.”
The AHEPA building is “just down the road,” Koehler noted.
The distance didn’t matter to a woman who was leaving the AHEPA site because she said she had only 10 minutes to make it to work in Cuyahoga Falls. She said she was holding Copley Township officials responsible for the situation.
“The people who are running in Copley; I’ve just voted them out of office. Everybody’s late because everybody went to the high school,” said the woman who would only identify herself as “Joanne.”
Koehler said it was an honest mistake and the Board of Elections had no ulterior motive in getting the message out late Monday afternoon. As soon as the board realized the mistake, Koehler notified news agencies about it.
“We apologize to people for their inconvenience, but there was no evil intent to keep people from voting,” Koehler said.
— Kathy Antoniotti
6:45 a.m. — Fairlawn Lutheran Church, Fairlawn
While voting for the Fairlawn precinct 3-A at Fairlawn Lutheran Church this morning, I filled out my paper ballot only to have it rejected by the scanner.
The readout on the scanner said my ballot was declined because I tried to put more than one ballot in the scanner at a time. After a poll worker checked my ballot, they discovered I was handed two ballots that were stuck together. Consequently, I marked the front of one ballot and the back of the second, causing the poll workers to void my original ballot.
I had to recast my vote, taking about 20 minutes for the entire voting process. The poll worker stationed at the machine said “Good, now we know it is working.”
— Kathy Antoniotti
6:40 a.m. —
I was at my polling place at about 6:40 a.m. Already people were coming and going, and my number when I voted was 11.
— Rich Heldenfels
6:40 a.m. — Randolph Community and Senior Centers, Randolph Township
About 30 township residents were at the polls shortly after the doors opened for the day. Things were running smoothly with the touch-screen voting machines and the lines were not backing up.
In addition to statewide issues, voters were facing ballot issues for schools, the Portage County Library District and fire protection and emergency medical services.
— Darrin Werbeck
