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Live reporting by Giorgiana Lascu
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Recount of county judicial race set to begin Dec. 5

Giorgiana Lascu

08:34 AM Nov 29, 2022 CST

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 2/27

On the agenda today: Certification of the November 8, 2022 General Election.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 4/27

Looks like the @cuyahogaboe is having some internet issues again.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 5/27

Looks like the meeting is live, but mislabeled (as of right now). If you want to follow along here’s the link to today’s meeting:

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 6/27

The @cuyahogaboe is renewing the software contract which allows 100 people at a time to call.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 7/27

The board passes a $315,000 budget increase for salaries. Board member, Ms. Inajo Davis Chappell, makes sure this increase will not apply to board member salaries before the vote.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 8/27

Public Comment: Charles C. Drake of Seven Hills – A Rover’s check is about $275 or $14.86 an hour. They are required to use their car with no compensation & must pay into OPERS despite temp status.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 9/27

Mr. Drake petitions the board to raise Rover wages by 15%, pay millage, and no longer have temporary voting officials pay into OPERS unless they are registered for that retirement plan.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 10/27

The first automatic county-wide recount in “quite some time” is scheduled on Dec 5th at 9:30am to follow up on a very close judge race for the court of common pleas.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 11/27

The process of this recount will involve hand counting 5% of the ballots, scanning them and if they match scanning the remaining 95% of the ballots. This process can take up to 3 weeks.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 12/27

Temporary workers who are on break this week, will come back to conduct the recount.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 13/27

Whoever wins the court of common pleas position, begins on Jan 12th. So the @cuyahogaboe is looking at 10 hour weekdays until the recount is completed.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 14/27

Again, some background on the court of common pleas race. https://twitter.com/glascu/status/1595105014372089857?s=20&t=gclIlMt6Fvb79A0R0O_2Pw

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 15/27

A motion is passed to certify all election results except the South Euclid Court of Common Pleas judicial results.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 16/27

A spirited debate over a South Euclid judicial candidate Timothy Sterkel who ran unopposed is heating up. There is some discussion about Mr. Sterkel being on the ballot by mistake. https://www.cleveland.com/community/2022/11/has-south-euclid-officially-elected-a-judge-governor-may-have-to-decide.html

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 17/27

The board is debating if they have the authority to deal with this issue or if the matter should be decided by secretary of state and the governor.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 18/27

Board member Lisa M. Stickan argues that it’s not the @cuyahogaboe‘s job to figure out disputed claims only to count the votes and certify them.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 19/27

“My question is, if we didn’t correct [the error on the ballot in time] and we don’t certify the election now are we compounding the error and disenfranchising the voters?” Asks, board member, Inajo Davis Chappell.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 20/27

“No, we are mitigating the issue and I do bear responsibility. I think we’d be compounding the error is we were to push it through.” Says a @cuyahogaboe legal counsel.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 21/27

Board Member, Inajo Davis Chappell moves to release the opinion of the counsel on the matter of the South Euclid election. The @cuyahogaboe vote to do so unanimously.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 22/27

Board chairman, Jeff Hastings, moves to certify the South Euclid election despite legal counsel’s misgivings.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 23/27

“I don’t regularly like to not follow the advice of legal counsel.” Replies Board member Inajo Davis Chappell before clarifying that counsel is confident of the opinion he’s given.

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 24/27

“I think we need to provide stability to the public and rely on these dates and deadlines. There were over 4,000 votes cast and that’s weighing on me.” - Lisa M. Stickan

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 25/27

“This is a good [legal] opinion, but taking my legal hat off, I can’t disenfranchise 4,100 people.” -Inajo Davis Chappell

Giorgiana Lascu @glascu 26/27

“This will resolve itself here or in the Secretary of State’s and Governor’s offices.” Says board chairman, Jeff Hastings before a unanimous vote to certify the uncontested judicial race in South Euclid– despite legal counsel’s opinion.

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Have questions? Think we got something wrong? Send any inquiries on the meeting or these tweets to @cledocumenters. Or email us at cledocumenters@gmail.com