ELECTIONS

Early voting opens in Ohio for May primary

Slew of candidates, levies to appear on local ballots

4/3/2013

Early voting began Tuesday on a smattering of issues and candidates to be on the Ohio ballot on May 7.

In Lucas County, voters will decide school levies in Oregon and Swanton.

In Wood County, Perrysburg voters will decide whether to establish a public transportation levy and nominate a Republican candidate for Perrysburg Municipal Court.

Early voting in Lucas and Wood counties will be Monday through Friday, ending May 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and until 6 p.m. on May 3, as well as until 9 p.m. on Monday, April 8.

In Lucas County, early voting is at Government Center in downtown Toledo and in Wood County, at the courthouse in Bowling Green.

On Election Day, the polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Oregon Local Schools is seeking renewal of a five-year, 2-mill improvement levy. The election is open to voters in Oregon and Jerusalem Township. The Swanton Local Schools district is seeking a levy of 4.4 mills for capital improvements. Voting is open for people who live in the Swanton schools district portions of Harding, Spencer, and Swanton townships.

The candidates for the Republican judicial nomination in Perrysburg are C. Drew Griffith, Molly Mack, and Aram Matthew Ohanian, all of Perrysburg. The winner of the primary will advance to the general election when voters will elect a judge to replace Judge S. Dwight Osterud, who plans to retire.

No candidates filed for the Democratic nomination, however, at least two people have said they may file to run as nonpartisan candidates on the general election ballot Nov. 5. The filing deadline is May 6.

The court has jurisdiction over misdemeanor criminal and traffic cases and small-claims issues in Perrysburg, Northwood, Rossford, Walbridge, and Millbury, as well as Perrysburg, Lake, and Troy townships.

The public transportation issue is a 0.8-mill levy for five years to pay for bus service in Perrysburg to replace TARTA.

Bowling Green voters will decide whether to renew a three-year, 1.4-mill parks and recreation levy. And in Bradner, the village is seeking a new tax of 2 mills for two years for parks and recreation.

The deadline to register to vote in Ohio in the May 7 primary election is Monday.

In Michigan, the deadline to register is Tuesday. Michigan polls will be open on May 7 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. There is no early voting in person; however, voters may request an absentee ballot by mail by 2 p.m. May 4 or in-person by 4 p.m. May 6.

Contact Tom Troy at: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058.