MOUNT VERNON, Ohio — Early in-person voting is off to a strong start in Knox County, where Board of Elections Director James Blazer reported 384 voters cast ballots on the first day, Oct. 6 — a pace he described as about two-thirds of the first-day turnout in the last presidential election. Voters are deciding a countywide senior services levy renewal and a contested commissioner race ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election, with early voting at the Board of Elections, 104 East Sugar St. in Mount Vernon.
The countywide money question is a renewal of the county’s tax levy for senior citizens services and facilities. The county auditor estimates the renewal will collect $1,155,031 annually at a rate not exceeding 0.79 mill for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $28 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s market value, for five years commencing in 2027. As a renewal, it continues the existing tax rather than adding a new one, funding services and facilities for Knox County senior citizens.
The top contested county race is for county commissioner, where Democrat Chuck Rogers faces Republican Bill Pursel. County Auditor Sarah Ann Thorne, a Republican, is unopposed, as is Republican Jay Walter Nixon for judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Probate/Juvenile Division. Republican Matthew George is the candidate on the ballot for the 5th District Court of Appeals.
Legislative races give Knox County voters several head-to-head choices. In the 12th Congressional District, Republican Troy Balderson faces Democrat Jerrad Christian. For the Ohio Senate’s 19th District, Republican Ryan Rivers faces Democrat Janet Wagner. Two Ohio House races split the county: in the 61st District, Republican Shawn Stevens faces Democrat Vince McGrail, and in the 98th District, Republican incumbent Mark Hiner faces Democrat Scott Grund.
Below the county line, ballots differ across the county’s townships, villages and school districts, and officials encourage every voter to pull up their precinct’s official sample ballot through the Board of Elections before voting. The county’s ballot also carries the full slate of statewide offices, from governor and U.S. senator down through attorney general, auditor, secretary of state and treasurer, along with two Ohio Supreme Court seats.
The statewide race drawing the most attention pits Republican Vivek Ramaswamy against Democrat Amy Acton for governor, while Democrat Sherrod Brown challenges Republican Jon Husted for the U.S. Senate. Every Knox County ballot also carries State Issue 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would require voters to present an approved form of government-issued photo identification in order to vote, with an alternative verification method allowed for voters with a sincere religious objection to being photographed.
Early in-person voting at 104 East Sugar St. runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through Oct. 23, then 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24; 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26; 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, the deadline for absentee ballot applications to be received; 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28 through Oct. 30; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. There is no early voting on Monday, Nov. 2. On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. to count.
Photo: Mark Spearman, CC BY 2.0