What’s on the Ballot?

(Plain Press, October 2020)           Registered voters can check to see what is on the ballot by visiting the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections website at: boe.cuyahogacounty.gov and clicking on “What’s on my ballot?”. Fill in the information requested – election date, City, ward and precinct and nonpartisan election. If you don’t know your ward and precinct there is a prompt to help you get your voter information. Once you have put in the information you can hit “Find my ballot.” A sample ballot will appear. You can read it — or print it if you wish.

   The ballot includes four sets of candidates running for president and vice president: Donald J. Trump and Michael R. Pence; Joseph R. Biden and Kamala D. Harris; Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker; and Jo Jorgensen and Spike Cohen. Voters will also have the option to write in the name of a candidate for president and vice president.

   Voters will also have the opportunity to choose a candidate to represent them in Congress. The candidates will depend on which Congressional District you live. The area served by the Plain Press has parts of two different Congressional Districts. In the 9^th Congressional District Democratic candidate Marcy Kaptur will face Republican candidate Rob Weber. In the 11^th Congressional District Democrat Marcia L. Fudge is facing Republican Laverne Gore.

   There are a number of State House of Representative Districts in the Plain Press service area: Districts 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15. In District 10, State Representative Terrence Upchurch is running unopposed. In District 11 Democrat Stephanie Howse is running unopposed. In District 13 Democrat Michael J. Skindell is facing Republican Daniel Harrington. In District 14 Democrat Bride Rose Sweeney is facing Republican Lynn McMahan. In District 15, Democrat Jeffrey A. Crossman is facing Republican Kevin C. Kussmaul.

   There are a number of candidates on the ballot that are running unopposed. On the remainder of the ballot description we will list only races where offices are being contested.

   In the contest for District 11 of the State Board of Education the candidates are Michele Elba, Meryl Johnson and Rocky Neale.

   For Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court full term commencing 1-1-2021 the candidates are John P. O’Donnell and Sharon L. Kennedy.

   For Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court full term commencing 1-2-2021 the candidates are Judi French and Jennifer Brunner.

   In the Eighth District Court of Appeals there is a contested race between Pamela A. Hawkins and Emanuella D. Groves for a full term commencing 2-11-2021.

   In the Eighth District Court of Appeals two candidates are competing for an unexpired term ending 1-1-23. The candidates are Ray Headen and Lisa Forbes.

   In the General Division of the Common Pleas Court there are three contested races. For a full term commencing 1/3/2021 the candidates are William Vodrey and Kenneth R. Callahan. For the full term commencing 1/6/2021 the candidates are Andrew J. Santoli and Robert C. McCleland. For an unexpired term ending 1-2-2023 the candidates are Wanda C. Jones and Richard A. Bell.

   The Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations Division features a race between Colleen Ann Reali and James Cochran for a full term commencing 1-8-2021.

   Voters will also be asked to weigh in on a proposed tax levy (renewal and increase) for the Cleveland Municipal School District. The levy language reads: A renewal of 15 mills and an increase of 5 mills to constitute a tax for the benefit of the Cleveland Municipal School District for the purpose of current expenses of the school district and of partnering community schools at a rate not exceeding 20 mills for each one dollar of valuation (of which 1.5 mills is to be allocated to partnering community schools), which amounts to $2.00 for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for ten years, commencing in 2020, first due in calendar year 2021.