Automatic Recount in County Auditor Republican Primary Race
Confirms DeBoth’s Win
Geauga County Board of Elections (BOE) Special Meeting - May 28, 2026
Meeting Info - Special Meeting on May 28, 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 available virtually 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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Board Member - Janet Carson
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Director - Tyler Plants
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Deputy Director - Nora McGinnis
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Office Administrator - Scott Daisher (as needed)
County Representatives: None.
Others: In person, this LWV Geauga Observer.
Call to Order - The meeting was called to order shortly after 9:01 am.
Minutes - None.
Automatic Recount of Ballots Cast on May 5, 2026: County Auditor
The recount proceedings began at approximately 9:10 am. As determined at the May 22, 2026 BOE meeting, the ballots cast in the Newbury Twp C, Burton Village, Auburn Twp D and Russell Twp E precincts were recounted by hand by BOE staff for the Geauga County Auditor Republican Primary race. The teams consisted of 2 people, each representing one of the major political parties, who were supervised by the Board. The precinct ballots cast for the candidates in the race matched the previously reported precinct totals exactly as follows:
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Newbury Township C
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Joe DeBoth: 53
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Charles Walder: 55
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Burton Village
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Joe DeBoth: 80
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Charles Walder: 101
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Auburn Township D
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Joe DeBoth: 112
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Charles Walder: 108
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Russell Township E
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Joe DeBoth: 77
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Charles Walder: 94
Next, all ballots cast in the Geauga County Auditor Republican Primary race were recounted by the vote counting machines. The ballots cast for the candidates in the race matched the previously reported totals exactly as follows (race winner is in bold):
At approximately 1:30 pm, the BOE reconvened.
Summer Conference Updates - Ms. McGinnis provided information packets to the Board members regarding arrangements for upcoming election administration and continuing education conferences. Members discussed available training opportunities. Attention was given to continuing education requirements, including newly available courses and reimbursement procedures for conference-related expenses. Members also discussed an optional Project Management Fundamentals course being offered following the conference and considered whether additional staff should attend.
Academy of Continuing Legal Education Conference - This conference will be held in Richfield, OH in July 2026. Ms. McGinnis provided reminder materials about this conference to Board members.
Advertise for Registration Supervisor Position - The Board discussed plans to fill the vacant Republican Registration Supervisor position. Members considered various methods for advertising the opening, including posting on the Geauga Board of Elections website, ElectionLine, the Ohio Association of Election Officials website, and social media platforms. Concerns were raised about the cost and effectiveness of newspaper advertising, and the Board agreed to begin with electronic postings before considering paid advertisements. Historically, positions at this level have been advertised in local newspapers, although only the Director and Deputy Director openings are required by statute to be placed in local newspapers. Board members expressed a preference for candidates with election administration experience but noted that sufficient time remains to train a qualified applicant before the fall election cycle. Applications will be accepted from June 1 through June 16, with interviews scheduled for June 18 at the Regular Board meeting.
Certification of Recount Results - At approximately 1:50 pm the BOE voted unanimously to accept the recount results in the Geauga County Auditor Republican Primary race.
Post Election Audit - The board determined it is required to hand count at least 299 ballots (5% of the total ballots cast in the race or 5,976 x .05) for the audit of the Attorney General Democratic Primary race. Precincts were randomly selected from a jar until the ballot count exceeded 299. For the recount, bipartisan teams will examine ballots from the following precincts:
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Newbury Township A - 89 | 89 Total
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Auburn Township E - 57 | 146 Total
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Auburn Township B - 88 | 234 Total
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South Russell Village C - 109 | 343 Total
The ballots already pulled for the recount of the Geauga County Republican Primary from Newbury Township C, Burton Village, Auburn Township D and Russell Township E precincts will be used to audit the Governor Republican Primary race. Mr. Plants explained that the recount of the Geauga County Auditor Republican Primary ballots will fulfill the audit requirement to include a county level race. They agreed that the audit would take place on June 4, 2026 at 9:00 am. Observer Note: Please see the May 22, 2026 BOE LWVG Observer Report and Chapter 11, Post Election Activities for more information about the Post Election Audit.
Vacancies in Local Offices - The Board received notice of a resignation from a Chardon City Council member and discussed additional reports of vacancies in local government offices including the resignation of the fiscal officers in Russell Township and Newbury Township. Mr. Plants indicated that they would contact the affected jurisdictions to ensure proper notification and appointment procedures were followed. The Board reviewed the timelines governing appointments to fill vacancies and stressed the importance of receiving timely information from local governments to ensure election records remain accurate.
Campaign Finance Discussion - Mrs. Carson expressed concerns regarding a local publication distributed to every home in Geauga County three times in the lead up to the May Primary election that appeared to have engaged in electioneering without displaying the name of the responsible entity in a conspicuous place. The discussion focused on the Board’s role in campaign finance oversight, including the distinction between the Board’s administrative responsibilities and the investigative authority of the Ohio Elections Integrity Commission (OEIC). Members reviewed previous examples involving political committees and independent expenditures and noted that formal complaints must be filed before enforcement action can be pursued. The BOE only sends reminders to file campaign finance reports to organizations that have filed campaign registrations with the Geauga County BOE. Mr. Plants explained that a complaint would need to be filed with the OEIC, whose responsibility would be to investigate the situation since no entity associated with this publication filed with the Geauga County BOE. The Board agreed that additional guidance from the Secretary of State’s office may be helpful regarding similar situations in the future.
Recount Worker Compensation - The Board considered compensation for poll workers who assisted with the day’s recount. Mrs. Carson felt that the 8 workers who reported for a short assignment should receive compensation that more fairly reflected their time and travel costs. After discussion, the Board approved a motion establishing a minimum of two hours of pay for recount workers. Members also noted that some workers would likely be called back to assist with the upcoming audit.
Adjournment - The meeting adjourned at 2:11 pm.
Next Meeting: The next Board meeting is the Post Election Audit on June 4, 2026 at 9:00 am. The next regular meeting is scheduled for June 18, 2026 at 9:00 am.
Observer: Carol Benton
Editor: Harry Rees
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Date Submitted: May 31, 2026
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