Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted meeting with reconstituted board of elections

The newly reconstituted Lucas County Board of Elections meets as a board Tuesday for the first time, and will be welcomed into their new positions by Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted.

The board’s special meeting is set for 12:30 p.m. in Toledo‘‍s Government Center.

A spokesman for Mr. Husted said he will address the board members, who were sworn in and given a day of training last week.

In June, Mr. Husted dismissed three members of the Lucas County Board of Elections because of what he said was a culture of dysfunction, and appointed three new members.

The two new Republican board members are lawyer Mark Wagoner Sr., of Ottawa Hills, and retired state judge Peter Handwork, of Sylvania Township. The new Democratic board member is Brenda Hill of Toledo, a retired teacher and former Toledo School Board member. Board member John Irish, a one-time chief deputy Lucas County treasurer, was kept on the board and is resuming his position.

Mr. Husted, who is a Republican on the ballot for re-election this year, is at odds with the Lucas County Republican Party over the Republican appointments. The local party appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court to overturn the appointments of Mr. Handwork and Mr. Wagoner.

The secretary of state is the chief elections official in Ohio, with local administration of elections left up to the 88 county elections boards, which are each made up of two Democrats and two Republicans.