SIDNEY — The results of the special election on Aug. 4 were certified Monday by the Shelby County Board of Elections.
The only issue on the ballot was the 7.3-mill emergency operating levy for Sidney City Schools/ The official results was 1,612 (46.82%) votes for the levy and 1,829 (53.12%) against the levy. On election day, the unofficial results were 1,591 for the levy and 1,809 against the levy.
The board accepted the staff’s recommendation concerning 46 provisional ballots. A total of 27 ballots were accepted and nine were rejected.
Those approved included a ballot which the e-poll book would’t accept the registered voter; 27 ballots where the voter had moved within the county; two who were issued absentee ballots; two people who changed their name; three ballots of people who had moved from outside the county and were registered in Miami County, one ballot of a person who had moved from outside the county and was registered in Lucas County, and one ballot of a person who had moved from outside the county and was registered in Greene County.
Ballots that were rejected included two of people who moved from outside the county and it didn’t have a signature; five ballots of people who were not registered to vote in Ohio; one ballot of a person who had already voted absentee in person; and one person who moved from outside the county.
The board also approved four absentee ballots and rejected five absentee ballots. The ballots accepted all had a postmark of Aug.. 3, 2020, on the envelope. Aug. 3 was the deadline for postmarked ballots.
The five rejected ballots included three with Aug. 4, 2020, postmarks, which was after the required deadline; one envelope that was postmarked Aug. 4 and didn’t have a ballot in it; and one ballot that was received Aug. 4 and didn’t have a postmark on it.
On Election Day, 515 voted for the levy; 958 voted absentee ballot at the board office; 119 voted and mailed in their ballot; and 20 voted with a provisional ballot.
Those voting against the levy were 876 on Election Day; 778 via absentee ballot at the board office; 167 via an absentee ballot mailed in; and 16 with a provisional ballot.
There were two under-votes for the levy where the person got their ballot and didn’t vote for or against the levy. One was on Election Day and the other was via an absentee ballot that was mailed in.
A total of 1,392 voted on Election Day; 1,728 voted absentee at the board office; 287 voted absentee via the mail; and 36 voted via a provisional ballot.
This was the second time the school district had placed the 10-year levy on the ballot. In the March/April Primary Election, it was defeated by a vote of 2,687 against the levy and 2,121 for the levy.
At an emergency meeting on Aug. 5, the board approved placing the levy on the ballot for the Nov. 3 General Election. If approved it would generate $3.5 million for the district’s general fund.
