General Election– What’s on the Ballot?

   In the General Election set for November 2^nd, Cleveland registered voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on who they would like to see as their next mayor, either Justin Bibb or Kevin Kelley. 

   Early voting begins on October 5th. Information about hours for early voting and how to obtain an absentee ballot is available on the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections’ website at: www.boe.cuyahogacounty.gov.

   Voters living in the 11^th Congressional District will also be asked to vote for a Congressional Representative – Democrat Shontel Brown is running against Republican Laverne Gore.

   There are four judge positions on the ballot for terms serving on Cleveland Municipal Court. Three judicial candidates are running unopposed: Suzan Marie Sweeney, Lauren C. Moore, and Ann Clare Oakar.  Competing for the fourth Municipal Court position are Andrea Nelson Moore and Michael R. Sliwinski.

   Most City Council Wards in the Plain Press service area also feature contests. Voters in Wards 3, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 will have an opportunity to vote for the candidate they would like to represent them in Cleveland City Council over the next four years.

   In Ward 3, incumbent Kerry McCormack will face challenger 

   In Ward 11, incumbent Brian Mooney will face challenger Michael Hardy.

   In Ward 13, two candidates are competing to fill the position vacated by mayoral candidate Kevin Kelley. Facing off in the contest are council candidates Kris Harsh and Kate Warren.

   In Ward 12, incumbent Anthony Brancatelli will face challenger Rebecca Maurer.

   In Ward 14, incumbent Jasmin Santana will face challenger Nelson Cintron Jr.

   In Ward 15, incumbent Jenny Spencer will face challenger Chris Murray.

   In Ward 16, incumbent Brian Kazy is running unopposed

   Voters will also be asked to vote yes or no on a proposed amendment to the Charter of the City of Cleveland. The amendment appears below:

24 – Cleveland Charter Amendment (By Petition) Proposed Charter Amendment (By Petition) City of Cleveland. A majority affirmative vote is required for passage.

24: Shall the Charter of the City of Cleveland be amended by amending and replacing existing Sections 115-1, 115-2, 115-3 and 115-4, and enacting new Sections 115-5 and 119-1 of the Charter to reorganize the Office of Professional Standards as subordinate to the Civilian Police Review Board rather than the executive head of the police force; to require that the Civilian Police Review Board receive funding in an amount equal to at least 1% of the budget of the police force; to expand the duties of the Civilian Police Review Board to include issuing complaints alleging any misconduct by Cleveland police officers or Division of Police employees; to require a full and complete investigation of all complaints against Division of Police employees and any additional allegations discovered in the investigation; to require the imposition of no less than the minimum discipline that the Civilian Police Review Board recommends against the police officer or employee unless the executive head of the police force imposes lesser discipline based on clear and convincing evidence establishing that the Civilian Police Review Board erred and the Civilian Police Review Board does not overrule such lesser discipline; to prescribe termination as presumed discipline for certain conduct absent mitigating factors; to establish the Community Police Commission and provide for the appointment, composition and qualifications of its members and their minimum compensation; to provide a minimum funding obligation of $1 million for the budget of the Community Police Commission with annual increases plus an amount equal to 0.5% of the annual police budget for grants to community-based groups; to provide for the duties of the Community Police Commission, which include serving as the final authority over the sufficiency of discipline of Division of Police officers, serving as the final authority over Cleveland Division of Police policies and procedures and the Division’s recruitment and examinations of police recruits and the Division’s training of police officers, compiling and maintaining employee records, conducting advocacy and outreach efforts, and hiring its own legal counsel when it deems necessary; to provide for an Executive Director and minimum staffing levels for the Community Police Commission; to provide for the duties of the Executive Director of the Community Police Commission, including contracting authority; and to provide that this amendment supersedes and controls over previously adopted Charter provisions, ordinances, and collective bargaining agreements?