Seneca election board rescinds vote

TIFFIN — The Seneca County Board of Elections voted unanimously Tuesday to rescind a controversial motion that barred individuals involved in anti-voting machine movements from serving as voting location managers. The reversal followed guidance from the Ohio Secretary of State's office and drew statewide attention, with Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and secretary of state candidates Robert Sprague and Marcell Strbich attending the meeting. The motion passed 3-0 and read: "Pursuant to the guidance from the Ohio Secretary of State's Office to rescind the motion adopted on Aug. 26 which stated that individuals publicly or actively working against voting machines are ineligible to serve as voting location managers." The original August motion had sparked concern among members of the public, particularly those affiliated with the Coalition of Concerned Voters of Ohio, a group advocating for election transparency and questioning the use of electronic voting machines. The Secretary of State's office later issued guidance stating that disqualifying individuals based on affiliation or ideology was not permitted under state law. Tuesday's meeting drew a packed room of attendees, including coalition members, Seneca County Prosecutor Derek DeVine, Commissioner Bill Frankart and other local officials. Duane Clary, a coalition member, welcomed the board's reversal and criticized the initial decision. "We're not conspiracy theorists. We follow the Constitution, and the Constitution cannot be a conspiracy," Clary said. "I do appreciate the fact that they reversed that motion, but the problem was that they did it in the first place." Clary also shared that the coalition had gathered a list of poll workers who "no longer feel secure if something goes wrong with our elections" because of actions taken by the board. He said those individuals will not be working the polls this year. The group is also calling for the removal of the four board members and staff following the certification of the 2025 elections. The controversy drew attention from statewide candidates, who framed the issue as a matter of constitutional rights and civic responsibility. "As a citizen of the United States, how do you separate lies and truth without the First Amendment?" said Sprague. "I want to thank you for rescinding the resolution that you passed excluding certain people from participating in elections. I think you've turned a black mark on Northwest Ohio into a beautiful example of the power of the freedom of speech, our First Amendment rights — not only to speak, but also to assemble here today." Ramaswamy emphasized the importance of protecting dissent and the foundational principles of democracy. "If you're part of a group that has that opinion, you should not be penalized for your right of assembly, to peaceably assemble and associate with your fellow citizens," he said. "And number three is, for petitioning the government, the government should never be able to actually penalize you. So that's why I'm here today. Not to stand for, you know, the content of the issue — merits great debate — but the most important thing, near and dear to my heart, is respect for our Constitution. That part of keeping it means keeping it not just when it's convenient for the government, but especially when it's inconvenient." He added, "If a mistake is corrected, that's something we ought to celebrate. It is also something that we ought to learn from to make sure that mistake doesn't happen again." Strbich encouraged citizens to remain engaged and work collaboratively with election officials. "We should all have a right to choose our preferred method of casting votes," Strbich said. "Do not be discouraged by this. Assume this was a mistake and it has been fixed. Go forward now and volunteer more than ever in your polling locations. Do not disengage with this process." In a Facebook post Monday, Secretary of State Frank LaRose responded to the Advertiser-Tribune's Sept. 19 article and the situation in Seneca County. "After reviewing the law and considering guidance provided by my office earlier this month, the Seneca County board of elections has decided to rescind its misguided policy on who can serve as a polling location manager," LaRose wrote. "I'm glad others weighed in as well. The board members care deeply about the integrity of our elections, but this policy sends the wrong message. Differing opinions are the foundation of our democracy; they shouldn't be a barrier to participating in it." The original motion passed in August stated that "any active member who is publicly or actively working against the use of voting machines shall be ineligible to serve as voting location manager and shall not be assigned to serve in their home precinct." While the restriction did not apply to all precinct election officials, it specifically targeted leadership roles. Director Lori Elchert previously defended the policy as a compromise, stating that leadership positions carry greater responsibility. However, the board agreed to revisit the decision after receiving a letter from Chris Burnett, director of elections and deputy assistant secretary of state, who said the restriction was inconsistent with Ohio law. Burnett emphasized that boards must evaluate poll workers individually and cannot disqualify entire groups based on ideology or affiliation. "The mission of the Seneca County Board of Elections remains clear: to conduct fair, secure, transparent and accessible elections," Elchert said in a previous statement. "We remain fully committed to that mission on behalf of the voters of Seneca County."