WestChesterBuzz.com

Barry M. Horstman reports:

The U.S. Supreme Court today cleared the way for Ohioans to cast early in-person absentee ballots on the final three days before the Nov. 6 election.

In a major legal victory for President Barack Obama’s campaign, Justice Elena Kagan denied Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted’s request to overturn or put on hold lower federal court rulings that authorized early voting on the final Saturday through Monday before Election Day.

Shortly after the court ruled, Husted set uniform early voting hours for those days in all 88 counties: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m-2 p.m. Monday.

The U.S. Supreme Court today sealed a legal victory for President Barack Obama’s campaign in the pivotal state of Ohio, leaving intact a ruling that restored early voting rights for the weekend before the Nov. 6 election.

• Cincinnati.com: Live video/chat: Second presidential debate

Ohio Republicans had sought to cancel early voting that weekend for everyone except members of the military. A U.S. appeals court in Cincinnati blocked the plan last week, saying it probably violated the constitutional rights of non-military voters. In a one-sentence order, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to that ruling, filed by Ohio’s Republican secretary of state and attorney general.

Democrats and Republicans have jockeyed in Ohio for months over early voting, an option used heavily by blacks, women, the elderly and low-income people, according to the appeals court. A trial judge cited an estimate that 100,000 Ohioans would vote in the three days leading up to Election Day.

No Republican has ever won the White House without capturing Ohio, which controls 18 of the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency. (more…)

Posted in: Election, News |

Tags: Tags: absentee, ballot, Barack Obama, Butler County Board of Elections, Butler County Election 2012, democrat, early voting, election, election 2012, election day, jon husted, Liberty Township election, Mitt Romney, Ohio election 2012, ohio supreme court, presidential, presidential race 2012, presidential race 2012 Ohio, republican, secretary of state, West Chester election

Secretary of state orders extra evening hours, but none on weekends

Barry M. Horstman reports:

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted ordered all county boards of elections on Wednesday to stay open the same hours this fall.

Secretary of State Jon Husted / AP Photo

Husted’s directive ordering all 88 election boards to standardize their schedules after early voting begins Oct. 2 sets up what state officials believe will be Ohio’s first election with uniform statewide hours.

But while Husted’s order mandates limited extra evening voting hours, it will prevent boards from opening on weekends as most did in the 2008 presidential election, when tens of thousands of Ohio voters cast early in-person absentee ballots.

Husted, a Republican, apparently acted to quell a growing national controversy over disparities in voting hours that appeared to give Republicans an edge in November. He had been widely criticized since The Enquirer reported 10 days ago that he had cast tie-breaking votes blocking extra voting hours in major urban areas that traditionally favor Democrats even as GOP-leaning counties extended their hours.

Wednesday’s order will “level the playing field,” Husted said. “I have sought to create an environment where the election can be about candidates and their ideas, not the process for electing them.”

Some top Ohio Democrats quickly denounced the decision move as one that does more to advance the Republicans’ political agenda in the presidential election than to lower voting hurdles.

“Each moment we get closer to Election Day, Republicans find more ways to chip away at the number of days and hours Ohio voters have access to the polls,” said Ohio Democratic Party chairman Chris Redfern.

Alex Triantafilou, chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party, dismissed that criticism as a “predictable part … of the political theater Democrats are using to try to excite their base.”

“The secretary acted very boldly here to standardize voting hours across the state, as it should be,” Triantafilou said. “But I’m not surprised it didn’t satisfy the Democrats.”

Before Husted’s announcement created a statewide solution to what previously had been a county-by-county question, the Hamilton County elections board had scheduled today to decide whether to extend local early voting hours this fall. (more…)

Posted in: Election, News |

Tags: Tags: election, election day, jon husted, Ohio election 2012, ohio secretary of state, online updates, provisional ballots, registration, tim burke, voting

Locally, West Chester Township residents voted down another school levy, re-elected its trustee, elected a fiscal officer and filled two seats on the school board.

Roughly a total of 46 percent of the public voted for the school levy, while roughly 54 percent voted it down.

>>>STORY: LAKOTA LEVY FAILS FOR THIRD TIME SINCE 2005<<<

“Certainly I am disappointed, but we have said all along during this campaign that this was the community’s choice,” said Sandy Wheatley leader of the Committee for Lakota’s Future.

“We looked to the community and asked, ‘do you want to move forward or do you not?’ And they made their choice.’”

West Chester Trustee George Lang was re-elected for the third straight time after being first elected in 2003. Lang received almost 52 percent of the vote. His closest opponent was Anthony Klimek, who finished with around 27 percent of the vote. Fellow opponent William Zerkle finished with around 21 percent of the vote.

“In this campaign, the people running against me got a little ugly and a little nasty,” said Lang after he voted on Election Day at the Ronald Reagan Lodge. “But in their defense, in this real conservative community – they couldn’t beat me on the issues, so their best chance was to attack my character.”

>>>ELECTION DAY PHOTOS IN WEST CHESTER<<<

“Cityhood” was a big issue in the trustee race. According to Lang, who wants West Chester to remain a township, Zerkle wants West Chester to become a city soon and candidate Klimek would like to see West Chester transition into a city.

In the race for fiscal officer, it was much tighter – with Bruce Jones taking the open seat with about 37 percent of the vote. Christy Miller (30 percent), Chris Xeil Lyons (26 percent) and Kerry Hendel (7 percent) finished behind Jones.

“I have been just focusing on my campaign … distinguishing myself from the other candidates as I have a proven track record as a fiscal conservative and a lengthy track record of involvement in the community,” said Jones, while greeting voters outside Endeavor Elementary on Election Day. “I think that I have earned peoples’ trust as a result from that commitment to the community.”

Meanwhile, there were two available seats in the school board race. The public re-elected Lynda O’Connor to one of those seats and Julie Shaffer to the other seat. Both candidates finished with approximately 25 percent of the vote. Mark Etterling (19.67 percent), Jamie Green (14.29 percent) and Luke Hall (15.51 percent) finished behind O’Connor and Shaffer.

“I certainly feel honored that the community placed its trust in me and I look forward to trying to serve the students to the best of my ability,” said Shaffer, who has three children in the school district. “It is also bittersweet, however, given that we have to make additional reductions to the levy failure.”

Issue 11, the Butler County mental health levy, did pass with more than 64 percent of the vote in favor of the levy. The 1-mill tax levy costs the owner of a $100,000 home about $47.60 annually for five years.

Posted in: Board of Education, Election, Events, Government, Levy news, News, Political events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Anthony Klimek, Bruce Jones, Butler County Board of Elections, Butler County election 2011, Chris Xeil Lyons, Christy Miller, Cincinnati Tea Party, early voting, early voting 2011, early voting Butler County, early voting Ohio, early voting Ohio 2011, election, election 2011, election day, George Lang, Jamie Green, Joan Powell, Judy Schmidt, Julie Shaffer, Kathleen Boring, Kerry Hendel, Lakota Levy 2011, Lakota levy news, Lakota school board election, Lucas Hall, Lynda O'Conner, Mark Etterling, Mark Toney, NoLakota Levy, Ohio election 2011, Ohio Liberty Council, Pat Williams, Southwest Ohio Liberty Headquarters, West Chester election, William Zerkle

A steady stream of voters have turned out in West Chester Township at Union Elementary, Endeavor Elementary, the West Chester Township Administration Building, Lakota West High School and the Ronald Reagan Lodge at Voice of America Park.

In what has been referred to as an “off-year election” – voters appear to be coming out due to interest in Issue 2 and in the Lakota school levy.

For some voters, like Judy Schmidt of West Chester, Issue 2 was a confusing issue. Schmidt thought Issue 2 television ads didn’t clearly portray what the issue was really about.

>>>PHOTOS OF ELECTION DAY 2011 IN WEST CHESTER<<<

It wasn’t until Schmidt recently discussed Issue 2 with her husband that she how she wanted to vote.

Like many West Chester voters, Schmidt wasn’t comfortable in discussing if she voted for the issue or the school levy.

On the other hand, Kathleen Boring of West Chester did confirm that she was for the levy.

“I think parents are really feeling the crunch (after cuts were made to Lakota),” said Boring, who has two children in the Lakota school system.

“It is a fantastic school system. I just would like to see it maintained.”

Boring, who moved from Monroe, N.C. a few years ago, said that taxes are already high in West Chester compared to her former hometown and said that the levy “is a very difficult decision to make” for voters.

>>>ELECTION DAY 2011 WEST CHESTER VOTING GUIDE<<<

Besides Issue 2, voters have been confused on what to do about the fiscal officer race in West Chester Township – which included candidates Chris Xeil Lyons, Bruce Jones, Christy Miller, Kerry Hendel and Mark Toney.

“I think the biggest hurdle in this race was educating the voters about the job of the fiscal officer,” said Lyons, who greeted voters this morning at Union Elementary.

“It is hard to elect somebody when you don’t fully understand what their responsibilities and duties really are.”

Voters may also not be familiar with the candidates, considering current West Chester Township Fiscal Officer Patricia Williams is not seeking re-election after holding the position since 1976.

Williams, who is visiting all the polling locations in West Chester today, decided not to endorse any of the candidates.

>>>CUTS TO MADE IF LAKOTA LEVY PASSES OR FAILS<<<

Meanwhile, in October, Lakota Board of Education President Joan Powell endorsed two other candidates running for the school board rather than incumbent candidate Lynda O’Connor.

The endorsement, which came by way of a letter to Powell’s supporters, made headlines at the Cincinnati Enquirer and caused infighting among Lakota school board members.

Her endorsed candidates, Julie Shaffer and Jamie Green, are up against Mark Etterling, Lucas Hall and O’Connor. The NoLakota group, which is campaigning to defeat the school levy, has endorsed Etterling and O’Connor. Meanwhile, Hall is an 18-year-old Miami University student and 2010 graduate from Lakota East.

The race for township trustee has also been “a little ugly” according to incumbent George Lang.

“In this campaign, the people running against me got a little ugly and a little nasty,” said Lang after he voted this morning at the Ronald Reagan Lodge. “But in their defense, in this real conservative community – they couldn’t beat me on the issues, so their best chance was to attack my character.”

The incumbent claims his opponents have called him “unethical, immoral and untrustworthy.” He also claims that they are telling voters that Lang wants West Chester to be a city.

Lang denies those claims and acknowledges that “cityhood” is a big issue in this year’s trustee race. According to Lang, who wants West Chester to remain a township, fellow candidate William Zerkle wants West Chester to become a city soon and candidate Anthony Klimek wants to transition West Chester into a city.

While voters go to the polls and politicians greet them there, there is also a another side of Election Day that typically goes unseen.

Currently, volunteers at the Southwest Ohio Liberty Headquarters in West Chester, which was created by the Cincinnati Tea Party and the Ohio Liberty Council, will be calling potential voters until the polls close at 7:30 p.m. With lists from Columbus of registered voters, who have yet to vote, those volunteers are making a push for local voters to vote “yes” on Issue 2 and Issue 3.

For more information on the issues and races, visit WestChesterBuzz.com’s voter guide.

WestChesterBuzz.com will post live election results after the polls close at 7:30 p.m. from the Lakota levy viewing party tonight in West Chester.

Posted in: Board of Education, Election, Events, Government, Levy news, News, Political events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Anthony Klimek, Bruce Jones, Butler County Board of Elections, Butler County election 2011, Chris Xeil Lyons, Christy Miller, Cincinnati Tea Party, early voting, early voting 2011, early voting Butler County, early voting Ohio, early voting Ohio 2011, election, election 2011, election day, George Lang, Jamie Green, Joan Powell, Judy Schmidt, Julie Shaffer, Kathleen Boring, Kerry Hendel, Lakota Levy 2011, Lakota levy news, Lakota school board election, Lucas Hall, Lynda O'Conner, Mark Etterling, Mark Toney, NoLakota Levy, Ohio election 2011, Ohio Liberty Council, Pat Williams, Southwest Ohio Liberty Headquarters, West Chester election, William Zerkle

If you are not among the 15-to-20 percent that have already voted, then you might need to know more about the races and issues on Tuesday’s ballot.

For those traditionalists, the polls will open on Election Day at 6:30 a.m. and will close at 7:30 p.m. To find your polling location, visit www.butlercountyelections.org.

Both West Chester and Liberty Township residents will vote on state Issues 1, 2, 3, as well as local Issues 5 and 11. There are also a few separate candidate races for each township, as well as a school board race that will concern both townships.

>>>LAKOTA LEVY NEWS AND DISCUSSION<<<

For information and analysis on all issues and races, visit Cincinnati.com’s Elections 2011 Page. While there, visitors can also find out what will be on their ballots.

>>>WHAT’S ON YOUR BALLOT AND VOTER INFORMATION<<<

THE ISSUES

Issue 1 is a proposed amendment that would increase the maximum age for assuming elected or appointed judicial office from seventy to seventy-five, eliminate the General Assembly’s authority to establish courts of conciliation and eliminate the Governor’s authority to appoint members to a Supreme Court Commission.

>>>INFORMATION ON ISSUE 1<<<

Issue 2 is a petition-driven referendum to repeal Senate Bill 5, a collective bargaining overhaul that limited the ability of public workers to negotiate for wages, working conditions and pension benefits.

>>>INFORMATION ON ISSUE 2<<<

Issue 3 is a constitutional amendment, which would nullify a 2010 federal law requiring people to buy health insurance.

>>>INFORMATION ON ISSUE 3<<<

Locally, Issue 5 is a school levy for Lakota Local Schools. The proposed 4.75-mill tax levy would raise $12.6 million annually with collections beginning in January. Taxes would increase about $145 annually on a $100,000 house. The proposed tax levy is a continuing levy.

County wide, Issue 11 is a renewal of a tax for the purpose of operating mental health service programs and maintaining mental health facilities by the Butler County Mental Heath Board. The 1-mill tax levy costs the owner of a $100,000 home about $47.60 annually for five years.

>>>INFORMATION ON ISSUE 11<<<

THE RACES

In West Chester, voters will have to select a township trustee – incumbent George Lang faces opposition for his four-year trustee seat from William Zerkle and Anthony Klimek. Also in West Chester, fiscal officer Pat Williams is not seeking re-election to her four-year office. Those seeking her seat include Chris Xeil Lyons, Christy Miller, Bruce Jones, Kerry Hendel and Mark Toney.

>>>2010 LAKOTA EAST GRAD SEEKS SCHOOL BOARD SEAT<<<

In Liberty Township, incumbents David Kern, trustee; and Pamela Quinlisk, fiscal officer do not face opposition.

>>>LAKOTA SCHOOL BOARD DRAMA JUST PRIOR TO ELECTION DAY<<<

Residents of both townships will be voting in the school board race, in which there are two, four-years seats open. Julie Shaffer, Mark Etterling, Lucas Hall and former board member Jamie Green are challenging incumbent Lynda O’Connor.

Posted in: Election, Events, News, Political events |

Tags: Tags: Butler County Board of Elections, Butler County election 2011, early voting, early voting 2011, early voting Butler County, early voting Ohio, early voting Ohio 2011, election, election 2011, election day, Lakota school board election, Ohio election 2011, West Chester election

A pro-levy group made up of students called Teens for Lakota has recently released a video on the importance on its school levy, which will be decided today.

The student group, which was featured on WestChesterBuzz.com in mid-October, has also been involved in a door-to-door campaign in support of the levy.

In May, when the previous levy failed, Lakota student Jake Geers started a Facebook page titled “Teens for Lakota Levy November ’10.” The page now has 1,170 members, who have been sharing information on the levy.

The group could be seen around polling locations today, Nov. 1.

Posted in: Levy news, Schools |

Tags: Tags: election day, Jake Geers, Lakota school levy, school levy, Teens for Lakota

The polls opened at 6:30 a.m. today, Nov. 2, and will close at 7:30 p.m. After that, WestChesterBuzz.com will feature a live blog of the results.

House Minority Leader John Boehner is expected to vote at the West Chester Church of the Nazarene, which is located at 7951 Tylersville Road in West Chester, at 9:15 a.m..

Boehner’s opponent in Ohio’s Congressional District race, Justin Coussoule, will be voting in nearby Liberty Township.

Four levies will be decided today. The Lakota school levy or Issue 2 has been getting a lot of regional coverage. Lakota Superintendent Mike Taylor has called it the “most critical” levy he has been a part of in his 35 years in the school district. WestChesterBuzz.com will be at the “Lakota Election watch” event tonight at Muhlhauser Barn.

Other levies include Issue 4 (MetroParks), Issue 6 (senior citizen services) and Issue 21 (West Chester police).

For a list of every race and issue on the ballot, visit the Butler County Board of Elections website.

More to come as it becomes available.

Posted in: Election, Events, Levy news, News, Political events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: election, election day, John Boehner, Lakota school levy, West Chester voting

Cincinnati.com has a lot of helpful information for the undecided voter on its “Elections 2010” page. The page also features a tool that allows voters to see each race in their voting area.

The tool not only provides information about each candidate and issue, it also allows users to print out their selections for easy, fast voting for tomorrow, Nov. 2.

There are many items on the ballot for West Chester residents including the Lakota school levy and the 8th Congressional District race.

There are also many statewide races on the ballot including governor and senator.

Another helpful source of information is the Butler County Board of Elections website. In addition to information on each issue and race, the site also provides polling location information.

Posted in: Election, Events, Government, News, Political events |

Tags: Tags: 8th Congressional District, Butler County Board of Elections, election day, John Boehner, levy, Nov. 2, polling locations, statewide races, voter information, voters, West Chester voters