Robinson, Burke appear to have won races for commissioner
Local election officials are stressing that with more than 1,160 potential votes to be counted, election results will not be official for nearly weeks.
Brandon Clay, director of the Union County Board of Elections, said the office has counted 9,859 ballots. He said the office has 234 uncounted provisional ballots. He also said there are 929 ballots mailed to voters that have not been returned or are missing information and need completed before they can be counted.
“Those are all votes that potentially could come back,” Clay said. “Obviously, not all of them will. Not all of the ballots will get mailed in. Not everyone is going to come in and correct their information.”
Clay said those needing to correct, or cure their ballots have 10 days to do that. He said the board of elections will meet May 12 to approve provisional ballots and count all approved ballots.
“The results won’t be final until the board meets,” Clay said.
Those who need to correct information on their ballot will receive a letter from the board of elections. Information can be corrected at the board of elections office, 835 E. Fifth St., Suite A, Marysville.
Clay said the actual election went “really smoothly, really well.”
He said that with the confusion surrounding the election combined with the absence of suspense in the presidential primaries, he was glad Union County had the voter response it did.
“I am really pleased with the number of voters we had, the number of ballots we had requested and the number, already so far, that we have had returned,” Clay said.
The director said more than 940 ballots came in Tuesday.
Clay said there was mixed response from voters about this year’s election process.
“I think the people that came in yesterday, they were angry with the process for a number of reasons,” Clay said. “…But I am sure there is also a lot of people who were happy they didn’t need to go out, and didn’t need to put themselves at risk.”
Of those that cast ballots, 6,608 voted as Republicans, 3,042 voted as Democrats and 26 voted as Libertarians. Additionally, 183 questions and issues ballots were cast.
Clay said it is too early to tell what voting in the general election will look like.
While results are not official, it appears as though most of the local elections have been decided with the votes already counted. The exception is in the Republican primary for juvenile probate judge. As it stands today, Assistant Union County Prosecutor Rick Rodger, with 3,054 votes, leads magistrate Sharon K. Robinson Walls, with 3,016. No democrat has filed for the position. Judge Charlotte Coleman Eufinger is not seeking another term.
If current results stand, Republican Steve Robinson will face Democrat Tony Eufinger in November to fill county commissioner Steve Stolte’s soon-to-be-empty seat.
Robinson, with 2,067 votes, leads J.R. Rausch with 1,752 votes, Kim Zacharias with 1,463 votes, Jerry McClary with 533 votes and Andrew C. Smarra, Jr. with 422 votes.
“I would like to compliment all the other candidates,” Robinson said. “It was a clean election. It was pleasant. I really appreciated that.”
Eufinger, who garnered 2,539 votes, was unopposed.
Dave Burke, with 3,976 votes, leads Rod Goddard, with 2,193 votes, in the race for current county commissioner Charles Hall’s soon-to be empty seat. No Democrat has filed to fill the position.
Stolte and Hall each announced their retirement last year. Stolte and Hall have separate seats. Stolte’s seat takes office Jan. 2. Hall’s replacement will take office Jan. 3.
In the race for Clerk of Courts, Republican Danielle Sullivan, with 3,169 votes, leads Kellie M. Carson, with 2,434 votes. The primary winner will face unopposed democrat Leighann Merriman Moots. Moots earned 2,413 votes. Current Clerk of Courts Teresa L. Nickle is not seeking reelection.
In the race for Recorder, Karen Riffle, with 2,287 votes, leads Beth Robinson Marshall, with 1,892 votes and Salvatore Petrovia, with 1,717 votes. No democrat has filed for the position. Teresa Markham, the current recorder, is not running for the position again.
Republican Tracy Richardson and Democrat Tiffanie Roberts, were each unopposed and will face each other in November for State Representative in the 86th District.
Incumbents David W. Phillips, with 5,533 votes for county prosecutor, Malcum J. Patton, with 5,771 votes for sheriff, Andrew Smarra, with 5,398 votes for treasurer, Jeff Stauch, with 5,464 votes for engineer, David T. Applegate II, with 5,581 votes for coroner, and Don W. Fraser, with 5,710 votes for common pleas court judge, were all unopposed in the primary. No democrat has filed for any of the positions.
The general election will be held Nov. 3, 2020.
Anyone who is eligible to vote, but has not yet registered, has until Oct. 5 to register for the Nov. 3, 2020, General Election.