It's Election Day! Licking Countians head to polls to support local candidates, issues
NEWARK − Licking County voters head to the polls today to elect mayors, city and village council members, township trustees and school boards, and vote on local tax levies and state issues.
Licking County Board of Elections Director Brian Mead projects a 50% turnout in the county, with about 63,000 voting out of 125,381 registered voters.
Polls will be open at 27 locations from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The busiest polling locations have been Cherry Valley Elementary School in Newark, Tri-Village Christian Church in Harrison Township, Etna Methodist Church and Reynoldsburg High School, Mead said.
So far, 15,727 have already cast early votes, including 10,273 at the BOE office and 5,454 absentees by mail, at nursing homes or hand-delivered. In the August special election, there were 8,762 in office early votes and 4,402 by mail or other methods.
Four years ago, with the same local offices on the ballot, the turnout was just 30%, as 28,651 voted out of 117,168 registered voters.
Mead advises voters to do their homework and review ballot language before coming to the polls, so they know how they will vote.
Mayors will be chosen in Newark, Alexandria, Gratiot, Hanover, Hartford, Hebron, Kirkersville, St. Louisville, Utica and Reynoldsburg. Five mayoral candidates have no opposition. Contested mayoral races are in Newark, Hartford, Hebron and Kirkersville. Gratiot has no mayoral candidates.
All 25 townships in the county will choose trustees and fiscal officers. Eleven school districts will vote for board members, with Newark voters selecting three from a field of eight candidates.
Residents of Alexandria and St. Albans Township will vote on forming a merger commission to consider combining the two governmental entities.
In Johnstown, voters will consider a municipal income tax increase from 1% to 2.25%. Heath voters face property tax replacements for fire protection and emergency services.
Five townships have property tax levies on the ballot. Homer Fire District residents will vote on a additional 5 mill tax for three years. Mary Ann, Hopewell, Hartford and Burlington townships have either renewal or replacement levies.
North Fork Local Schools will decide a bond issue to pay for school building construction and renovation, furnishing buildings and land acquisition.
Gas and/or electric aggregation will be on the ballots in unincorporated areas of Licking County, as well as Pataskala, Buckeye Lake, Hartford, Hebron, Kirkersville and Utica.
The County Commissioners Association of Ohio announced electric aggregation program savings statewide. From June through August in the cities of Heath, Johnstown and Newark and the villages of Alexandria, Hanover and St. Louisville, residents saved a combined $1.69 million.
There are 12 write-in candidates in county elections. Voters will be able to write in candidates in the villages of Alexandria, Buckeye Lake and Utica, Union Township and the Licking Valley and Lakewood school districts.
A voter who wants to support a write-in or review write-in candidates can ask a BOE official for a list of eligible write-in candidates.
Voters must show a current Ohio driver's license, state identification card, Veterans Administration card, military or national guard ID. A voter with an expired driver's license can vote a provisional ballot and return showing a new current driver's license to potentially get the vote counted.
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Twitter: @kmallett1958
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Licking Countians head to polls to support local candidates, issues
