NORWALK — Early voting is under way in Huron County, where voters are deciding a Nov. 3 general election ballot topped locally by a renewal levy for the county health district and two separate races for county commissioner. The Huron County Board of Elections, at 180 Milan Avenue in Norwalk, is open for early in-person voting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday this week.
The top countywide question asks voters to renew the tax for the Huron County General Health District, which funds the programs of the county board of health. The renewal would collect about $587,279 a year at a rate not exceeding 0.5 mill — about $11 for each $100,000 of a property’s appraised value — for 10 years, commencing in 2027 and first due in 2028. Because it is a renewal rather than a new tax, it would continue the existing charge for another decade.
Unusually, Huron County voters will fill two commissioner seats this fall. In the race for the full term beginning Jan. 1, 2027, Republican Terry Boose faces Libertarian Cassaundra Fryman. In the race for the unexpired term ending Jan. 2, 2029, Republican Bob Morgan faces write-in candidate Kevin J. Rasnick. Together the two contests will reshape the three-member board that sets the county budget.
The rest of the county offices are uncontested this cycle. Democrat Roland J. Tkach is the only candidate for county auditor, and Timothy L. Cardwell is the only candidate for judge of the Court of Common Pleas’ juvenile and probate division, for the full term beginning Feb. 9, 2027. A Sixth District Court of Appeals seat is contested, however, with Democrat Myron C. Duhart facing Republican CJ Kamm, while Republican Michael R. Goulding is unopposed for the court’s other seat.
Local tax questions fill out ballots across the county. Bellevue voters will decide a 1-mill renewal for city parks and recreation that would collect about $181,373 a year, about $19 per $100,000 of value, for five years. Norwalk Township voters face an additional 0.75-mill levy for current expenses, estimated to collect about $80,725 a year, about $27 per $100,000, for five years.
District races are competitive as well. Republican Bob Latta faces Democrat Brian A. Shaver and Libertarian Michael J. Veloff in the 5th Congressional District, Democrat Joe Miller faces Republican Gayle Manning in the 13th Ohio Senate District, and Norwalk-area voters will choose between Republican Kellie Deeter and Democrat Brenda Buchanan in the 54th Ohio House District, while Bellevue-area voters see the 89th District race between Democrat Easton Michael Retzke and Republican Caleb Stidham.
Above the local races, Huron County voters will also help decide Ohio’s statewide contests — governor, attorney general, auditor, secretary of state and treasurer, two seats on the Ohio Supreme Court, the U.S. Senate race between Republican Jon Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown, and statewide Issue 3, the proposed constitutional amendment that would require voters to present photo identification in order to vote.
Early voting hours expand in the final week: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, Oct. 28 to 30, with weekend hours on Saturday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 31, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a final Sunday session on Nov. 1 from 1 to 5 p.m. Voters must bring an accepted photo ID, such as an Ohio driver’s license, a state ID card or a U.S. passport. On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, polls across Huron County will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Photo: Finetooth, CC BY-SA