Ohio county voting head steps down

[KamaAina]

Source: AP

CLEVELAND - The Republican chairman of the embattled Cuyahoga County elections board resigned Wednesday, days before he was to face a removal hearing.

Ohio Republican Party leader Robert Bennett (news, bio, voting record) has been under pressure from Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to step down. Brunner ordered the board's members to resign or be fired last month. A removal hearing for Bennett was set for Monday.

"I recognize that continuing to serve on the board with the current adverse relationship with the Secretary of State was not in the public interest and she came to understand that, while there had been problems in the past, there was no wrongdoing by the board," Bennett said in a statement.

Brunner said they reached a settlement that dismisses a complaint she had filed against Bennett after he initially refused to resign.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070411/ap_on_re_us/ohio_voting

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How did a leader of the Ohio repuke party become head of the election board in one of the most solidly Dem counties in the state (or nation, for that matter) in the first place?

Wonder what he gets to keep (pension, etc.) by "deciding to spend more time with his family" less than a week before the ax would have fallen anyway?

[MadMaddie]

1. Criminal Charges soon to follow...

[spotbird]

9. Promise? Details please! nt

[MadMaddie]

22. sorry I should have put a sarcasm...sign...

[Botany]

2. Bennett quit before his public hearing

Brunner and new A.G. would have cleaned him like a fish.

[Kolesar]

7. The hearing would have kept the election fraud stories in the headlines

The gop have to regroup and develop a new strategy. I predict tobacco money and klan rallies.

[LiberalFighter]

3. Appointments of Election Board Members in Ohio

§ 3501.06. Board of elections; vacancies.

There shall be in each county of the state a board of elections consisting of four qualified electors of the county, who shall be appointed by the secretary of state, as the secretary's representatives, to serve for the term of four years. On the first day of March in even-numbered years the secretary of state shall appoint two of such board members, one of whom shall be from the political party which cast the highest number of votes for the office of governor at the most recent regular state election, and the other shall be from the political party which cast the next highest number of votes for the office of governor at such election. All vacancies filled for unexpired terms and all appointments to new terms shall be made from the political party to which the vacating or outgoing member belonged, unless there is a third political party which cast a greater number of votes in the state at the most recent regular state election for the office of governor than did the party to which the retiring member belonged, in which event the vacancy shall be filled from such third party.

[LiberalFighter]

4. Party Recommendations

§ 3501.07. Party recommendations; appointment.

At a meeting held not more than sixty nor less than fifteen days before the expiration date of the term of office of a member of the board of elections, or within fifteen days after a vacancy occurs in the board, the county executive committee of the major political party entitled to the appointment may make and file a recommendation with the secretary of state for the appointment of a qualified elector. The secretary of state shall appoint such elector, unless he has reason to believe that the elector would not be a competent member of such board. In such cases the secretary of state shall so state in writing to the chairman of such county executive committee, with the reasons therefor, and such committee may either recommend another elector or may apply for a writ of mandamus to the supreme court to compel the secretary of state to appoint the elector so recommended. In such action the burden of proof to show the qualifications of the person so recommended shall be on the committee making the recommendation. If no such recommendation is made, the secretary of state shall make the appointment.

[LiberalFighter]

5. I would not think they would be eligible for any pension.

Under compensation

For the purposes of this section, members of boards of elections shall be deemed to be appointed and not elected, and therefore not subject to Section 20 of Article II of the Ohio Constitution.

In addition, in 2000 the maximum compensation for this position is $20,000 with a 3% increase annually.

[Riverman]

6. Nevada County, CA Elections Official Resigns for "Private" reasons

per today's Grass Valley Union newspaper, she has been under criticism for not planning properly for last Nov's election with the new Diebold voting machines that the County Administration bought for her (5-0 republican elected Board of Supervisors). Probably no coincidence! Not in Arnold's California, heavens no!

[underpants]

8. ¿ How did a Dem county get a Republican elections board chair?

forgive my ignorance I don't understand the chain of events that created that.

[Doremus]

11. They are appointed. See #3 and #4 above. n/t

[underpants]

12. Excellent-thanks-that is what I expected

Crooks all of them

[MasonJar]

10. Didn't the law quoted say that he was appointed by the Sec of State?

We all know who that was.

[Doremus]

13. Jennifer Brunner rocks!

In office 4 months and she's already excised the filthy repukes from Cuyahoga Co.

Now on to the 87 other counties ....

...and a clean '08 election in Ohio!!!


:party: :headbang: :applause: :yourock:

[OhioChick]

14. She is Doing a Damn Good Job. n/t

[Robbien]

17. That was a race which many of us kept watching anxiously

hitting and rehitting the refresh button on the SoS election results site all night.

Yes she rocks all right.

She double rocks

:yourock: :yourock:

[librechik]

15. Yeehaah!

Enough with the RNC heads being election commissioners. That HAS TO STOP

We need independent non partisan election officials. NOW

[Vilis Veritas]

18. I hope we can get more of them.

Today, I am proud to be born a Buckeye!

We the people will have to take back this country. We will need attorneys to help us and we will need to be strong and fight the oppression that is coming.

It is coming. Heck, it is already here, they are just being sneaky about it and we the people are all so asleep at the wheel we do not even notice. Kind of reminds me of Chevy Chase in the first Lampoon Movie where he falls asleep while driving yet somehow manages to park the car.

Man, I sure hope we can park the car.

Police State - Facism at large and this was a few years ago...anyone REMEMBER?
Link: http://www.2600.com/rnc2004/index.html

[librechik]

19. welcome to DU, Saddlesore

climb down off that old :kick: and take a rest for a spell.


A lot of us remember here.

:hi:

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[librechik]

21. ...ok...--guess I was reading more in to your name than necessary

have at it

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Captain Hilts]

16. Not to worry, the FEC investigates only Democrats. nt