2 days ago
Debate continues over whether or not to move board of elections out of Youngstown
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – There are still no decisions on moving Mahoning County departments from one facility to another but that hasn't stopped people from lobbying county commissioners.
For months, there's been a debate over whether or not to move the board of elections out of Oak Hill Renaissance Place and into the Patriot Building in Austintown.
Opponents argue it would lead to fewer inner-city residents coming out to vote.
Still, Elections Board Chairman Dave Betras insists the office and its voting equipment need to find a new home.
'All of us — the two Republicans and the two Democrats — that took an oath to preserve, and protect, and defend those votes and those voting machines, we are violative of that because that building is not working,' he said.
'The fact that this move has been proposed and being pushed by the board of elections without any public hearings or input from the residents of the county that it would affect the most is totally unfair,' said Pastor Ken Simon, with the Community Mobilization Coalition.
Commissioners told the audience they are still considering their options and do not have a timeline in place to make their decision.
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