Board of Elections Certifies Candidates and Issues for May 5 Primary Election
Geauga County Board of Elections (BOE) Special Meeting - February 17, 2026
Meeting Info - Special Meeting on February 17, 2026 at 9:00 am in the BOE Conference Room at 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Suite 004 (Basement), Chardon, OH, 44024. Attendance was in-person and virtual via MS Teams.
Public Comment Policy - The Board of Elections typically responds to questions about agenda items throughout the course of their meetings. Those exchanges are documented below as they occur.
Attendance: Present were:
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Board Chair - Dennis Pavella
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Board Member - Richard Piraino
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Board Member - Joan Windnagel
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Director - Tyler Plants
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Deputy Director - Nora McGinnis
Board Member Janet Carson was absent.
County Representatives: In person, Charles E. Walder, Auditor and Chief Administrator of Automated Data Processing (ADP); Frank Antenucci, Deputy Chief Administrator & Chief Information Security Officer, ADP; Zach McLeod, Director of Advanced Research and Cybersecurity, ADP; Ron Weigle, Maintenance Director, Board of County Commissioners (BOCC); Kristen Rine, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Geauga Prosecutor’s Office.
Others: In person, Juvenile/Probate Judge candidate Abbey King, two members of the public and this Observer.
Call to Order - The meeting was called to order shortly after 9:00 am.
Minutes - Minutes for the Special Meeting on January 8, 2026 were approved without edits 3-0.
Payment of Bills - Invoices totaling $40,679.99 were approved unanimously and included:
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$21,950.00 to Triad GSI for annual subscription fees for voter registration and elections support
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$9,640.08 expense reimbursement to board and staff for Ohio Association of Election Officials Winter Conference
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$3,456.00 to Expert IT for 8 Microsoft 365 licenses
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$2,950.00 to Graphic Village for absentee ballot return envelopes
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$1,150.00 to MNJ Technologies for toner
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$477.47 to KMI for envelopes and acknowledgement cards
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$450.00 to Quadient for postage meter quarterly maintenance fee
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$409.58 to Verizon Wireless for Dec/Jan monthly emergency cell phones
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$105.69 to Quill for office supplies
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$63.12 to Nora McGinnis for office supplies
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$28.05 to DEX Imaging for monthly copier contract
Report from ADP – Mr. Antenucci reported:
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Director Credentials/Access - ADP has completed setting up Tyler Plants’ access to BOE’s various systems.
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Primary Election Support - They will employ the same protocols for soft and hard lockdown as used in recent elections. Zach McLeod will run point for support on Election Day. Mrs. Windnagel expressed appreciation for ADP’s professionalism and support.
Mrs. Windnagel and Mr. Pavella opined that parking access will be a problem during early voting, even with turnout typically being lower in a Gubernatorial election cycle compared to a Presidential election cycle. They said they were glad Mr. Weigle will be on hand to witness the issue firsthand.
Report from BOCC Maintenance - Per Mr. Weigle, he met with BOE staff and is working to address the list of maintenance issues they supplied. Additionally, these items were discussed:
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Building 8 Polling Location - Mr. Weigle indicated that he had just received the contract outlining the use of Building 8, a BOCC property at 420 Water Street, as a polling location for Chardon City precincts A and B. He inquired whether Chardon Schools were a viable option. Mr. Pavella explained that it would require closing the school for the day, perhaps opting for a teacher in-service day. Mrs. Windnagel observed that parking would be insufficient for voters if teachers were on site for an in-service day.
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Evacuation Plan/Safety - Mr. Piraino inquired whether a BOE evacuation plan had been approved, noting that the board has raised repeated concerns about safely removing staff and voters in an emergency. Mr. Weigle indicated he is not aware of a plan for BOE. Mr. Antenucci recommended that all building occupants participate in a practice evacuation. He also offered his staff to assist in walking through a plan for BOE.
This discussion segued into a conversation about how to safely accommodate voters during early voting. Questions were asked about where voters would safely line up and how voters would potentially access the garage storage area for queuing up. Mr. Weigle indicated he would work with BOE to resolve these challenges.
The board expressed additional concerns about voters (especially the elderly, disabled voters and voters accompanied by children) traversing stairs during wet weather and potentially waiting on the stairs during early voting.
May Special/Primary Election Update - Mr. Plants reported:
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Ballot Box - He has been working with Mr. Weigle to arrange installation of the BOE Ballot Box prior to the UOCAVA (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) deadline, which is March 20, 2026. They also are arranging installation of the banner which hangs from the building to indicate the location of the ballot box.
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Curbside Voting - They are adding signage at the rear of the building to indicate the curbside voting location. Mr. Plants explained that cameras at the rear of the building trigger an email to staff, notifying them that a voter is waiting in the curbside voting area.
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Voter Safety - Mr. Pavella reiterated his concern about voters potentially waiting in line on the stairs for early voting.
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Parking -An email notification will go out to building employees, explaining that parking access during early voting will be prioritized for voters.
Certification of Candidates - After examining original documents filed and considering advice from staff and their legal counsel, the board determined the sufficiency of candidate petitions and declarations for these races:
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Geauga County Republican Central Committee - The board voted 3-0 to reject a Burton Village candidate’s petition as insufficient and to certify 48 candidates across 79 voting precincts. 37 precincts have no certified candidate. Races are contested in Chester Twp D, Chester Twp F, Munson Twp A, Newbury Twp A, Newbury Twp E and South Russell Village C. Observer Note: Seven individuals subsequently filed as write-in candidates by the February 23, 2026 deadline, bringing the total precincts without a certified candidate down to 30.
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Geauga County Democratic Central Committee - The board voted 3-0 to certify 44 candidates across 79 voting precincts. 35 precincts have no certified candidate. No races are contested. Observer Note: One individual filed as a write-in candidate by the February 23, 2026 deadline, bringing the total precincts without a certified candidate down to 34.
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Probate/Juvenile County Judge, Court of Common Pleas - The board voted 3-0 to certify 3 Republican candidates, Stephanie Hiebertschausen Anderson, Kate Jacob and Abbey King Mueller. No Democratic candidates filed.
Mr. Pavella invited Abbey King to address the board. She requested that only her maiden name appear on the ballot as she has historically presented herself professionally using her maiden name. Citing court precedent and following the advice of their counsel, the board voted 3-0 to deny her request and instead present the name as shown in her voter registration record.
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Ohio Representative, 99th District - The board voted 3-0 to certify 1 Republican candidate, Sarah Fowler Arthur and 2 Democratic candidates, Louis Murphy and Michael F. Price.
Observer Note: Statewide races, including U.S. Senate, Ohio Supreme Court Governor/Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, Secretary of State and Treasurer, are certified by the Ohio Secretary of State. District races that overlap county lines, such as U.S. Representative, Ohio Senator, Ohio Representative, State Committeeperson and Judge, District Court of Appeals, are certified by the district’s most populous county. Certifying county BOEs then share this information with the other county BOEs. Visit LWV Geauga’s Primary Election website page for a listing of candidates and updated district maps.
Approval of Local Questions & Issues - After examining original documents filed and considering advice from staff and their legal counsel, the board determined the sufficiency of local questions and issues.
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The board voted 3-0 to certify a Bainbridge Township issue for streets, roads and bridges.
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The board voted 3-0 to certify Sunday Sales for Convenient Mart in Hambden Twp C.
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The board voted 3-0 to certify Sunday Sales for Kuhnle Motor Sports in Thompson Twp B.
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The board voted 3-0 to certify a separate Sunday Sales option for Kuhnle Motor Sports in Thompson Twp B.
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The board voted 3-0 to reject a Sunday Sales option for Cellars Key Winery in Thompson Twp B, citing insufficient signatures.
Campaign Finance - The board reviewed a list of campaign finance reports that had been audited by staff. They also reviewed a list of campaign finance reports that had not been received on time.
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Mr. Pavella explained that campaign finance reports may be mailed to the BOE office, delivered in-person at the BOE office or filed online via the Secretary of State’s website portal.
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Mr. Plants indicated that Campaign Treasurers receive an email regarding the late filing and then if necessary, a certified letter.
Ballot Print House - The board reviewed staff’s calculation of the required number of ballots for the May 5, 2026 Primary Election and quotes from 3 vendors that submitted bids to supply ballots. The board selected Phoenix Graphics, based on their positive experience with them in the 2025 election cycle.
Public Test of Voting Equipment - This will take place in the Board offices on March 19, 2026 at 10 am.
Changes to Provisional Ballot Envelopes - The board approved changes recommended by staff to Form 12-B, Provisional Envelope Affirmation. It is one of many forms that must be remade to comply with SB293. Observer Note: See Secretary of State Directive 2026-02, Implementation of Substitute Senate Bill 293 for more information.
Triad GSI Campaign Finance Module - The board approved a staff request to subscribe to the Triad GSI Campaign Finance Module at an annual subscription cost of $525.00. Mr. Plants explained that the module digitizes campaign finance reports, reducing data entry errors and facilitating public access to campaign finance information. He stressed that staff will continue to audit the campaign finance reports.
Rideshare Policy - Staff will draft the policy detailing appropriate use of ridesharing.
New Election Official Training - The Secretary of State’s office requires that new board members and directors attend this March 11 training in Columbus for new election officials. The board voted 3-0 to cover costs of attending for Tyler Plants and Rich Piraino.
2026 Ohio Association of Election Officials (OAEO) Summer Conference - Mrs. McGinnis reported the conference will be held on June 8-9, 2026.
Director’s Report - Mr. Plants reported:
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Training videos that were recently completed will need to be redone, at additional cost, to reflect changes in the law. He anticipates needing more part-time help to train poll workers on new SB293 provisions.
Deputy Director’s Report - Nora McGinnis reported:
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She completed the end of year grant reports as required by the Secretary of State.
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She has been training Mr. Plants on the Director’s administrative duties.
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She has been training a new part-time Democratic worker.
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She and Mr. Plants met with representatives from LWV Geauga’s voter service team. Reviewer Note: The LWVG Voter Services team met with Mr. Plants and Ms. McGinnis to congratulate Mr. Plants on his appointment as Director and to discuss how best to obtain candidates’ contact information and facilitate communication about LWVG Candidate Forums and VOTE411, the LWVG’s online voter guide.
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She and Mr. Plants participated in Leadership Geauga’s Government Day.
Next Meeting: March 19, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.
Adjournment - 11:36 a.m.
Observer: Shelly Lewis
Editor: Rooney Moy
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Date Submitted: March 2, 2026
The League of Women Voters of Geauga is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. They do not support or oppose individual candidates or parties. Learn more about the LWVG at www.lwvgeauga.org.