SOS names BOE appointees

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COLUMBUS – Secretary of State Jon Husted on Friday, Feb. 26, named 174 individuals to serve as members of the county boards of elections in Ohio. The new board appointees began their three-year terms on March 1.

Among the appointees, were Roy Spencer and David Haber for Preble County.

Spencer, a Democrat, was first appointed in 1980. Haber, a Republican, began his service in 2012.

Secretary Husted reminded the new members of their responsibility to administer elections in a fair and impartial manner so all Ohioans can be assured that their vote is meaningful.

“We want to run the best elections in the nation as we know the eyes of the election world will be on Ohio,” Secretary Husted said. “Achieving this goal is dependent on the men and women who serve at the local level and I want them to understand that we are counting on them to get the job done.”

State law requires bipartisan representation on each of Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections. Each board is made up of two Republican members and two Democratic members, all of whom must be qualified electors in the counties for which they serve. The Secretary of State makes appointments to boards of elections based on the recommendations of the executive committees of the respective county political parties.

Terms on the 88 county boards of elections are traditionally four years long, however a change in state law requires the appointments be made in odd-numbered calendar years. Members appointed in 2014 were named to three-year terms that will expire in 2017. Terms for members taking their oaths today will expire in 2019. Appointments made in 2017 and 2019 will resume the traditional schedule of four-year terms.

“Local elections officials are on the front lines of our mission to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat in Ohio,” added Secretary Husted. “The elections officials in all 88 counties must do a good job to make Ohio look great.”

Secretary Husted today administered the oath of office to 40 of the new and returning board members during a ceremony in the Chamber of the House of Representatives in the Ohio Statehouse. Photos taken of the event are available here for your use.

Appointees unavailable to attend last week’s swearing-in must make arrangements to take their oath prior to being seated.

R-H Staff

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