Early voting dispute back in Husted's court

WDTN TV

Updated: Sep 17, 2012 11:17 AM

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A tie remains among the members of  Montgomery County Board of Elections after Ohio's Secretary of State ordered them to reconvene and reconsider its vote on early voting. 

Early on Friday, the BOE met and voted 2-2 in response to a directive given by SOS Jon Husted designed to make early voting hours in Ohio more uniform.

Democrats on the board expressed a willingness to go along with the weekday business hours stated in the directive, but decided to keep weekend hours in Montgomery County because they were already covered in the budget.

Republicans on the board voted to go along with the directive from Husted's, who is also a Republican. 

After the morning meeting, the BOE received a letter from Husted indicting "failure to act consistent with and voting in contravention of a Directive is at best nonfeasance and subjects a Board member to possible removal."

The four-member board met again at at 2 p.m. Friday and one of the democrats, Dennis Lieberman, told those attending the packed, public meeting that he felt Husted had threatened them and in his 10-years of service-- A threat he had never felt before.

After much debate, heated at time, and public comment since Lieberman had no intention of rescinding his motion from the morning to protect weekend early voting hours, it was decided there was no reason to vote and they all voted to adjourn.

Confusing? Maybe. But now it's up to Husted to break the tie between the local board members. 

By the way, the legal advisor to the BOE, John Cumming, called the Secretary of State's directive "ambiguous" and felt it gave the BOE an opportunity to keep weekend hours if it so chose.

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