A close associate of Lucas County Republican Chairman Jon Stainbrook has filed a complaint with state officials alleging that the Lucas County Board of Elections discarded too many absentee ballots and committed other irregularities during the March 4 primary election.

Kelly Bensman yesterday submitted to the Ohio secretary of state a list of alleged primary irregularities and requested an investigation.

The complaint includes the rejection of 921 absentee ballots because they weren't correctly inserted into return envelopes.

"What we have here, is a catalog of instances of negligence and incompetence by a board charged with protecting our most sacred right, our right to vote," Ms. Bensman said.

She called for Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to investigate the problems and put the elections board under administrative oversight.

Lucas County Elections Director Linda Howe said the incidents, detailed in an eight-page complaint, occurred before she became director last month, but said she would look into them.

"I certainly hope that these things that happened here don't happen under my [administration]," she said.

Ms. Bensman worked with Mr. Stainbrook to elect a slate of Republican central committee members in the March 4 primary. She and Mr. Stainbrook claimed the Republicans on the elections board showed favoritism to central committee candidates who were supporting Mr. Stainbrook's opponent, Bob Reichert, a charge the board officials vehemently denied.

Ms. Bensman's complaints allege that absentee ballots were lost, that poorly proofed ballots had to be reprinted at taxpayer expense, and that keys to secured rooms holding voted ballots were kept in unlocked office desks.

In all, 1,575 absentee ballots were rejected.

Ms. Bensman said Lucas County had the highest percentage of rejected absentee ballots in the state from the March 4 primary, at 9.5 percent. Other large counties had much lower percentages, such as 2.6 percent in Franklin County.

Mr. Stainbrook has demanded a housecleaning at the elections board. He has called on the two Republican members of the elections board, Patrick Kriner and Lynn Olman, to resign. Both have refused.

"With the presidential election approaching, we have serious concerns about the competency and proficiency of the Board of Elections," he said yesterday at a news conference to unveil Ms. Bensman's complaints.

Also yesterday, Ms. Howe said the board will begin advertising immediately to replace Jill Kelly, the deputy director of the county elections board, who has been on leave for unspecified medical reasons since July 11.

Because state law requires political balance in board hiring, it will be up to the board's Republican members to replace Ms. Kelly.

Mr. Stainbrook said the selection should be made in consultation with him, under party bylaws, in the same way that Ms. Howe was selected by the Democratic board members in consultation with Lucas County Democratic Chairman Ron Rothenbuhler.

"Just as the entire board worked with the Lucas County Democrat Party chairman, I hope that the board will extend that same opportunity to the Lucas County Republican Party chairman," Mr. Stainbrook said.

Mr. Olman said he and Mr. Kriner have not discussed who to involve in interviewing the candidates for deputy director.

"We're required to put it out publicly," Mr. Olman said. "We haven't had a chance to discuss how this will be done."

He said he welcomes the investigation that Ms. Bensman has requested.

Contact Tom Troy at:

tomtroy@theblade.com

or 419-724-6058.

First Published August 12, 2008, 9:47 a.m.