http://www.wvxu.org/ Politcal News and Information about Cincinnati from 91.7 WVXU en-US Wed, 16 May 2012 23:58:00 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=10043 An 18-month legal battle over a 2010 Hamilton County Juvenile Court race should come Thursday, when the county board of elections meets to certify the results of a recount. For the past two weeks, Hamilton County election officials have been conducting a recount of the race between Democrat Tracie Hunter and Republican John Williams, who has since been appointed to another vacant juvenile court judgeship. Hunter had trailed Williams by 23 votes after the Nov. 2010 election was held, but filed suit in U.S. District Court, where, after months of legal wrangling, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Dlott ordered the board to count about 300 provisional ballots cast by voters who were in the right polling place but the wrong precinct table. After those votes were counted, Hunter led by 71 votes. Then, about two weeks ago, the recount began with the hand-counting of ballots from 35 precincts - five percent of the total precincts in the county - and those hand-counted results were compared against a computer scan of the ballots from the 35 precincts. After that was done, Hunter's lead grew to 73 votes. But the board of elections was required to scan by hand all 290,000 votes cast in the election. That process is expected to end Tuesday. On Wednesday, the precinct results will be tabulated and presented to the board of elections on Thursday for certification. Mon, 14 May 2012 15:40:46 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=10011 Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is pushing legislation that would prevent interest rates on Stafford Loans to millions of college students from doubling on July 1. Brown came to the University of Cincinnati Thursday morning to meet with students who are benefiting from the Stafford Loans; and urged all students to contact their senators and urge them to pass a bill he co-sponsored which would keep the interest at its current 3.4 percent. "Students in this country owe more than $870 billion in student loans - more than is owed to the credit card companies or in auto loans," Brown said. "It makes no sense to do this to our young people trying to get an education." A 2007 law which set the rate for federal Stafford Loans to college students will expire June 30. Interest will go back to the old rate of 6.8 percent on July 1 if Congress does not act by then. The difference between congressional Republicans and Democrats on this issue seems not to be over whether or not the rate should stay the same, but how that would be paid for. Congressional Republicans want to pay for it through the money in in Affordable Care Act, the health care reform law passed by congressional Democrats in 2009. The House has passed a bill with this funding mechanism. President Obama has said he will veto that bill if it reaches his desk. Brown and other Democrats want it paid for by "S Corporations" - corporations that pay no federal income tax but have their income or losses divided among shareholders who report the income or losses on their own individual tax returns. Most of these are small businesses. Brown would require those corporations to pay the payroll tax which fund Social Security and Medicare. Brown said about 382,000 Ohio college students - including 22,000 at UC alone - would be impacted by a doubling of the interest rate on Stafford Loans. His bill would be in effect for only a year, but, Brown said, "it would buy us time" as Congress takes up "a larger discussion on taxes and spending." The bill Brown co-sponsored is likely to come up in the Senate for a cloture vote next week. Backers of the bill will need 60 votes in the 100-member Senate to keep the bill alive. That will be a difficult task, with only 51 Democrats in the Senate. Brown and his allies will have to pick up Republican votes. Ohio's junior senator, Republican Rob Portman of Terrace Park, is not likely to be one of them. In a teleconference with Ohio reporters last week, Portman said he favors an extension of the 3.4 percent rate, but believes paying for it through money from the health care law is a better way of funding it. The Democrats and the president, Portman said, want to put the burden on small businesses. "A lot of small businesses, as you know, pay their taxes as individuals so I would like to do it but I'd use a different pay-for,'' Portman said. Thu, 3 May 2012 14:42:25 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=9772 The 2012 primary season is in full swing in Ohio. Presidential nominee hopeful Newt Gingrich brought his campaign to Cincinnati today with a morning event at Price Hill Chili. The former house speaker got a warm reception, especially when he focused on religion and the Declaration of Independence. For politicians looking to win votes here, visiting the historic west side restaurant is practically a requirement. Gingrich earned cheers for suggesting President Obama and Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney are too similar, especially when it comes to religious freedom. “There's been a lot of talk about the Obama Administrations attack on the Catholic church. Well, the fact is Governor Romney insisted that Catholic hospitals give out abortion pills against their religious belief when he was Governor,” he said. Gingrich also outlined his plans for reorganizing the tax code, lowering the unemployment number, and modernizing government. From here he makes stops in Dayton and Columbus ahead of a rally tomorrow in Cleveland. Tue, 7 Feb 2012 11:39:35 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=9431 In a letter to constituents, Kentucky 4th District Congressman, Geoff Davis says in order to spend more time with his family he will not seek re-election. Davis spoke highly of his staff and of his work as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources. He also thanked his wife and children. Davis was has served since 2005. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:49:38 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=9348 Cincinnati Council members were back at City hall Monday for the first committee meeting since last week's election where 4 incumbents were defeated. The leadership change also means officials are getting more time to work on the city's next budget. Council Member Chris Bortz asked during the Budget and Finance Committee meeting when the city manager's proposed budget for 2012 would be available. Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls said it was her understanding it would be released on December 2nd. City officials had previously said the city manager's proposed budget would be released by mid-November and in recent years the spending plan has always been available for the public to review before Thanksgiving. The new target of December 2nd happens to be the day after the new Council with its Democratic super majority takes office. Mayor Mark Mallory and Qualls reportedly have been or will be meeting privately with the newly elected Democrats to brief them on the budget process. City Hall sources also say the city's budget deficit may be much smaller than nearly $34 million that was reported in the summer because of higher revenue collections this year and an increase in the forecast for next year. Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:47:17 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=9334 Cincinnati's new Council will have a super majority with 7 Democratic members, and that could leave the other two members trying to find their role in the city's government. Independent Christopher Smitherman will be returning to city hall when the new term begins on December 1st. He said the budget will likely control the first month. “I think the deficit is going to drive the debate,” Smitherman said. “I think balancing the budget in a very responsible way is the top priority.” Smitherman said the city should focus on the basics like public safety, snow removal and repairing streeta while at the same time stabilizing the city's rainy day fund. He was also asked about his working relationship with Mayor Mark Mallory. “On the areas where I agree with the mayor, I will support his agenda,” Smitherman said. “In those areas I disagree, I will disagree respectfully and move on.” Smitherman was elected to Council in 2003, but lost his re-election bid in 2005. He's also the president of the local chapter of the N-A-A-C-P and he plans to keep that position. WVXU left multiple messages for Republican Charlie Winburn to discuss his plans for the upcoming Council session, but he didn't respond in time for this story. Wed, 9 Nov 2011 15:02:26 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=9332 Cincinnati City Council has a resounding new look today. Democrats now hold the majority with first time candidates P.G. Sittenfeld, Chris Seelbach and Yvette Simpson all helping unseat Republicans. Simpson says she's excited and ready to work. “Job creation has to be priority number one and we've got a plan to develop small businesses, to create a small business task force to get them working on how we develop small business in the City of Cincinnati. And then I think we have to tackle this budget and that's going to be a big, big deal,” she says. Christopher Smitherman rounds out the new class. Ousted councilmembers are Amy Murray, Leslie Ghiz and Wayne Lippert and Chris Bortz. Bortz says voters clearly wanted change. “The reaction is probably, maybe something to do with the question of cuts versus enhancing other services and what's essential for the city... So I would have preferred a different direction but the voters don't so you've got to respect the process,” he says. Seelbach says it's time to change the conversation at City Hall. “Instead of focusing on what we're going to cut and not cut, we need to focus on what we're going to do to make this city competitive with other cities. What can we do to make Cincinnati more attractive to families, young professionals, retirees, all of that... more people that can bring jobs,” he says. Another new face, PG Sittenfeld says he's also ready to get to work. You may recognize him as the candidate most likely to be standing on an overpass waving at traffic. He says, “I think what I'm going to do (Wednesday morning) is wake up early... make a homemade sign that says, 'thank you' and go stand over a highway and wave at people and let them know I'm humbled by their confidence and I'm ready to do the city's work.” The new council will be sworn in December first. Wed, 9 Nov 2011 01:38:10 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=9331 People who've followed Cincinnati Council races for years say last night results left them stunned. Xavier University Political Science Instructor Gene Beaupre has worked on Council campaigns in the past, and has analyzed the contests for many years. Beaupre was at the Board of Elections last night with lots of Xavier students. “If you ask me before tonight I would tell you, almost not matter what people say about their dissatisfaction with the incumbents, they generally win,” Beaupre said. “And it's just a remarkable night, I don't know how else to put it.” Beaupre said the vote on Senate Bill 5 brought lots of Democratic voters to the polls Tuesday. But he said he wasn't sure they would worry much about the city council election. “And I wondered whether people who came out and voted for SB 5, would go home when they finished that and say we'll I've done my civic duty,” Beaupre said. “But clearly they went down the ballot, and found in a 9X race, where there's more than 20 candidates, they found Democrats and they voted for them. I think it's remarkable.” Beaupre said Mayor Mark Mallory and Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls may have to show additional leadership to keep the Democratic super majority in line and on the same page. Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Tim Burke said the message was change. “Voters really want a group of people who can work together,” Burke said. “And with the 7 endorsed Democrats, and 2 of them were also endorsed by Charter, I think those are 7 people who will make a point of working together.” Burke also admitted the anti-senate bill 5 vote likely had an impact on the outcome of the Council election. Wed, 9 Nov 2011 01:25:32 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=9333 Cincinnati Public Schools are regrouping following yesterday's levy defeat. Among other things, the money would have helped upgrade technologies and close what the school calls the "digital divide." Superintendent Mary Ronan says the poor economy likely made it difficult for voters to say yes. “In tangible terms, we're going to be starting the budgeting process with our schools and central office in December and there's not going to be a lot of resources to go around,” she says. Ronan says the district will have to look at laying off employees to help deal with a growing budget deficit. However that would have been the case anyway since money from the proposed levy could not have been used for personnel costs. Wed, 9 Nov 2011 01:05:56 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=9330 Cincinnati now has the go-ahead to continue with passenger rail after the narrow defeat of Issue 48. Mayor Mark Mallory says Cincinnati is on track, and the defeat of Issue 48 is absolute validation that this is a progressive city. "You know we still have a lot of work to do, but the voters of Cincinnati tonight said that we are on the right path. They said they liked the agenda, they liked the vision, they want to move forward and that's exactly what we're going to do." Cincinnatians for Progress say this is much bigger than the streetcar, it's about what type of city voters want. But COAST's Chris Finney who fought hard for an amendment that would have stopped the project says this passenger rail is pointless. "Just think about it. People don't need and don't want to ride a street car from Fountain Square to Findlay Market and back. It doesn't serve anybody who wants to go to their job, who wants to go to ther doctor, who wants to go to church or a place to shop." Finney says it's a massive expensive capital project that nobody really wants and it serves no real economic purpose. But supporters say the voters have spoken and now it's time to move forward. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/110911-amt-streetcar%20wrap.mp3 Wed, 9 Nov 2011 00:58:28 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=9324 Voter turnout predictions for Tuesday range from low to high depending on which side of the river you're on. Hamilton County Board of Elections Director Sally Krisel is hoping for at least 50 percent. She says Ohio's three issues have generated a lot of voter interest along with some key local issues: "For the City of Cincinnati, we have, of course, I think one of the big issues is the streetcar. We're hearing a lot of people talk about that. Then we also have some countywide issues with regard to children and family services." Kentucky has races for state offices, including governor, but Campbell County Clerk Jack Snodgrass hasn't seen much interest. He's predicting less than 25 percent turnout in his county. Snodgrass says in the last governor's race his office got more than 12-hundred requests for absentee ballots. This time, there have been only 300. Kentucky Secretary of State Elaine Walker is predicting statewide turnout of 25 to 28 percent. The polls in Kentucky will be open from 6 until 6 tomorrow. In Ohio, they're open from 6:30 until 7:30. You can hear election results tomorrow night on 91.7 WVXU. Mon, 7 Nov 2011 04:05:00 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=9119 Bob Mecklenborg, the three-term Ohio state representative who resigned following an April DUI arrest, pleaded guilty Thursday. He was also sentenced by an Indiana judge. The Green Township Republican got nearly a year probation, must pay court costs, and had his driving privileges suspended for three months. At the time of his arrest in Lawrenceburg near the Hollywood Casino, Mecklenborg had failed three sobriety tests. He also had an expired license. Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:15:19 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8992 Some Hamilton County voters will cast a ballot at a different polling place this November, as the Board of Elections consolidates. This fall the board will mail postcards to every voter, spelling out any changes in precincts. Beginning with the November election there will be 137 fewer of them, and board member Tim Burke says that's a good thing. "We hope that it won't mean a lot to the voter, other than we will have reduced the opportunity for voter or poll worker error at multi-precinct polling places. It will mean to the taxpayers that we will have saved some money by consolidating smaller precincts. He says while there may be more people in your precinct it's still well under the 1400 allowed by law. Board of Elections Director Sally Krisel says her department will be prepared. "What we will do is make note of how many people are at a precinct and make sure we have enough poll workers to meet the dmand, extra clipboards, and make sure there are plenty of ballots." As recent as 2004 there were one thousand precincts. In November there will be half as many. An increasing number of absentee voters helped speed up the consolidation process. The most recent changes are expected to save the county 150-thouand dollars per election. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:53:18 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8990 The Hamilton County Board of Elections is asking for a legal review of five cases in which voters voted twice in the November election. Chair Alex Triantafillou says this is a serious issue. “We asked our board staff to investigate this question and we have gathered some evidence, pretty clear evidence, that five voters did cast two different ballots. These ballots ended up being counted in the last election.” The board voted to turn the issue over to the prosecutor's office. Member Tim Burke has questions about why this happened. “From the paperwork summaries that we see in front of us at least a couple of these people sound like they were very confused. One of them is 86 years old, another well into her 70's. Based on that, I suspect, just reading this, that there was no intentional voting twice by at least a couple of these people.” But he says on the other hand they did vote twice, once by absentee, and then in person, and that's why it needs to be reviewed. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:51:28 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8483 Hamilton County juvenile court candidates Tracie Hunter and John Williams are awaiting the decision of a federal appeals court, in an increasingly complex legal battle. During a late Thursday afternoon hearing before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, people supporting both candidates packed the courtroom, with some even in an overflow area. This court is the latest stop in an effort to determine the winner for juvenile court judge. Tracie Hunter's attorney Jennifer Branch filed a November lawsuit. She alleged hundreds of voters were disenfranchised after the Board of Elections didn't count their provisional ballots. She reiterated her argument before this three judge panel, as she explains. “The Board here decided some provisional voters should have their ballots thrown out, when they realized there were errors created by their own employees, but that Board thought we should also count some of those ballots. So they need to set up a process that allows all provisional voters to be counted, even if there is an error created by their staff.” Earlier this week a federal court order to include certain provisional ballots was stayed. John Williams says Ohio counts ballots that are properly cast and people need to vote where they live. “We don't want people to have permission to vote anywhere because it can promote a lot of things that are improper in an election... fraud, it can dilute votes for people that are properly casting them.” One judge seemed concerned this case could set a precedent for other races ending up in federal court, every time there is an election. But a party to Hunter's case said this is unusual because it is so close. Williams leads by 23 votes. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/sixth%20circuit.mp3 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:12:11 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8468 The next step in the still undecided Hamilton County juvenile judge race is up to the Ohio Secretary of State. Friday, during a special Board of Elections meeting, the County Prosecutor's Office recommended appealing the most recent federal court order. Board Chair and Republican Alex Triantafilou said, "Our Prosecutor told us today, in his opinion, that we have one of three choices, being in contempt of the federal court, being in contempt of the Ohio Supreme Court, or appeal the decision of the federal court that would have us in contempt there." Because Republicans on the Board voted to appeal, and Democrats voted not to appeal, the Republican Secretary of State will decide. Republican candidate John Williams leads Democrat Tracie Hunter by 23 votes. In a lawsuit, she alleges poll workers directed some voters to the wrong table in their precinct and their votes weren't counted. Democratic Chair Tim Burke says those voters were deprived equal protection of the law. "Examine where the greatest percentage of the right church, wrong pew voters happened, and I will tell you that where it happened principly was in poorer, less well educated, typically minority African-American communities. That's a class that deserves protection." The Secretary is expected to receive arguments from both sides next week. In the meantime, Hunter's attorney has filed a motion to have the Board held in contempt for not following the federal court order. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/boe%20opinion.mp3 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:11:27 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8462 There are no easy answers in determining the winner of the Hamilton County juvenile judge race. It's been held up for months, and Wednesday the Board of Elections was handed a new federal court order regarding disputed provisional ballots. Candidates Tracie Hunter and John Williams listened as members of the Board of Elections explained how a new order from Judge Dlott conflicts with what the Supreme Court of Ohio has said. Democratic Chair Tim Burke says this 10 page order, telling the board to count more than 150 ballots, differs from a Dlott injunction. That had the Board interviewing hundreds of poll workers for alledged errors. "The latest order from Judge Dlott doesn't deal with an obligation to investigate all 800 plus. It's very specific about certain votes that should be counted and a few others that should be investigated." The Board is now asking the Prosecutor's Office to interpret because Republican Chair Alex Triantafilou says it's unclear which court to follow. "...leaving this Board in the precarious situation, at least at this point, of perhaps being, and I say perhaps, being in contempt of one of the two orders." Many people in the packed Board of Elections meeting represented the NAACP. President Christopher Smitherman said the Board is defying a federal judge. He says federal trumps state. "...so I don't understand the confusion by this Board to defy Judge Dlott. I would just say, as a lay person, and having some communication with Judge Dlott, she is not a federal judge to play with." The Board will reconvene Friday at 10am. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/BOE%20new%20court%20order.mp3 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:50:37 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8453 Some liken the still undecided Hamilton County juvenile court race to a mini Bush v Gore. Wednesday afternoon the Board of Elections will try to sort through various directives to decide what to do. With both the new Secretary of State, and the Ohio Supreme Court telling the Board of Elections not to count provisional ballots in the John Williams Tracie Hunter race, Chair Alex Triantafilou says there is a very clear direction which way to go. The Republican Party Chair says the Board should certify the results and do a mandatory recount. "Our position is that we should follow state law, and that we should follow the directions of the Supreme Court and the Secretary, and that we should move to reject ballots that were illegally cast." In November Hunter asked a federal court to allow previously discarded provisional ballots caused by alleged poll worker error. Judge Susan Dlott ordered an investigation. Board member and Democratic Party Chair Tim Burke expects Hunter to file again with Dlott after the Surpreme Court and Secretary's ruling. "I have believed all along and have been saying this for some time that those voters who get to the right polling place and then our poll workers mistakenly have them vote at the wrong table should have their vote counted." Tuesday's meeting will begin at 3:30. If the Board moves ahead with a recount, that may take a week or two. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/boe%20meeting.mp3 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 04:00:00 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8398 The Hamilton County Board of Elections is charting new territory as it tries to determine the winner of a juvenile court judge race. Republican candidate John Williams leads Democrat Tracie Hunter by 23 votes. Information from lots of poll workers being questioned at the Board of Elections might change the outcome. Thursday Chair Alex Triantafilou and Board member Tim Burke and others began questioning thousands of poll workers to determine if mistakes were made on election day. Burke, a Democrat, thinks poll workers might have errored in sending some voters to the wrong table, causing their votes not to be counted. "The idea that we are going to be subpeonaing into the Board over 2200 people is a daunting prospect. It's going to take an incredible amount of time, will be a very expensive method of doing this. In the end, I think all of us have the same desire, and that is to determine who the real winner of this election is." Hunter asked for a federal court to intervene in November. Triantafilou says not following state procedures already in place slowed the process down. He says the questioning could last through January. "This is all happening so quickly and it's something that's never been done before, at least in the very recent history at the Board of Elections, we're sort of having to make it up as we go." Questioning is scheduled until eight Thursday night, and from 8-5 Friday. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/poll%20worker%20questioning.mp3 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:07:41 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8287 The Hamilton County Board of Elections is holding a special meeting Tuesday to review provisional ballots. Director Sally Krisel says it involves those cast on election day and during early voting at the board office. “These are voters that maybe changed their address since the close of registration, so they were required to vote provisional,” Krisel said. “Or people who showed up at their precinct and didn't have the proper identification. They were asked to vote a provisional ballot.” Krisel says these reviews will take time. “Our board will sit down and determine all the ones that are eligible and then go through stacks maybe that we have of people that have questions about whether that provisional ballot should be counted or not,” Krisel said. Krisel says Ohio law is clear about what should be counted, but there are always exceptions. “There are categories of: if a voter voted in the wrong precinct and cast their provisional ballot,” Krisel said. “There are different ways we can look at that and different kind of decision making processes that our board will take to determine whether those ballots in part or in the whole should be counted or not counted.” There were 10,000 to 11,000 provisional ballot envelopes counted on election night. But in some cases those didn't contain a ballot or the person was actually registered in the precinct and didn't need to vote a provisional. The Board will meet again Thursday to discuss additional absentee ballots that had some problems. The election staff will be running numbers for the official count next Monday, and the board will meet Tuesday, November 23rd to certify the results. The need for any recounts would be determined after that date. Tue, 16 Nov 2010 01:21:39 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8277 The waiting game continues in the 28th District Ohio House race where only five votes separate incumbent Democrat Connie Pillich and Republican Tea Party activist Mike Wilson. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports. Wilson and Pillich have to wait until November 23rd to find out who won the race and if there will be a recount. Right now workers at the Hamilton County Board of Elections are busily entering in thousands of late arriving absentee, unscanned, and valid provisional ballots. Director Sally Krisel says security is tight for this counting. "Of course there's a lot of eyes on how we're looking through our provisional voters and how many ballots are we going to be adding from what precinct." Both candidates are actively urging supporters to fix mistakes. Connie Pillich says, "What we're doing is we're working to make sure that people are aware that if they cast an absentee vote and the Board of Elections contacted them and told them there was a problem with their vote that they have the ability and the duty to correct it." The final numbers could still be close. Wilson laughs at the election day total separating them by just five votes. "You expect there to be closure at the end of the day, and obviously there wasn't. It's something that happens to other people on TV, but no it's actually happening to you right then." If the certified results show a difference of half of one percent there will be a recount. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/pillich-wilson.mp3 Tue, 9 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8258 Even with the option of early voting, people are still streaming to the polls. Hamilton County Board of Elections Director Sally Krisel says she's seeing a little higher than normal turnout for this time, and possibly better than the predicted 52-percent. Her staff has had to report to polling places in Anderson Township and Mt. Airy Tuesday to calm tempers. Campaigners were standing too close to the precinct doors to hand out information to voters and that caused a couple of arguments. "When you have so many competing interests, that 100 foot mark becomes kind of an issue on election day. We've had nothing serious, but we have had to send some staff out to calm some tempers and make sure people are doing what's correct." Krisel says the voting equipment is working fine. She expects to report results from the first batch of absentee ballots around 8:00 tonight. Tue, 2 Nov 2010 16:38:41 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8253 Both parties have been working in the last few weeks of the campaign season to get their voters to polls Tuesday. Elections officials on both sides of the river are expecting about half the registered voters to cast ballots. Judy Miller is the Director of the Clermont County Board of Elections. “We're expecting somewhere between 50 to 52 percent voter turnout which is similar to what we had in 2006, four years ago,” Miller said. The Ohio Secretary of State is predicting a 52 percent turnout. The Director of the Warren County Board of Elections is expecting a 60 percent turnout. Keir Holeman says he's basing his estimate on 2006 when 55 percent of the county's registered voters cast a ballot. Kentucky Secretary of State Spokesman Les Fugate says the office generally makes one prediction for the state. "We're predicting 48 percent statewide. The Northern Kentucky region did have a higher turnout than average during the primary election so it's possible we'll see that in the general election,” Fugate said. “Generally Northern Kentuckians relate more to federal elections and so that typically tends to a higher turnout for them in this mid-term election.” Fugate says absentee voting is down compared to the same time period in 2006, and that's one reason why the state is predicting a slightly lower turnout. The polls are open Tuesday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Kentucky and Indiana. Ohio voting locations will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Sat, 30 Oct 2010 10:35:04 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8251 Campaigns have sophisticated strategies to get your vote. In some cases they use barcodes to better understand your interests and beliefs. Pat Schlembach sits in the Steve Driehaus campaign headquarters making phone calls. He's trying to find out the candidates you support and whether you will vote early. “And with that information they can use that to target for future phone calling, or for sending mail if they have a particular interest or issue.” This information goes into a data base, and eventually is merged with other kinds of lists. Xavier political science professor Gene Beaupre says all campaigns are doing it. “Now you can buy a list of people's buying preferences-ok, and you merge that and you begin to see a pattern and potential issues that might appeal to this voter or that, or you might get their church membership or you might get their country club membership.” Eventually this information produces a barcode for canvassing campaign staff. Xavier student Kat Ryder worked on the President Obama campaign, one that was more organized and targeted than she expected. “I didn't expect to be given this list and know that these people were picked for a reason. They were picked because they've identified as democrats or wanted certain issues to be talked about.” These voter data bases are constantly updated. Beaupre says the more targeted the technology can be and the more personal it can be, the more candidates will use it. Unfortunately for voters, the information is never erased, it only gets bigger. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/ground%20game.mp3 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:45:42 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8248 Candidates running in Tuesday's election are making their last minute pitches before voters head to the polls. But they're not the only ones making final preparations. The Hamilton County Board of Elections conducted its public test of voting equipment and software programs Thursday. Deputy Director Amy Searcy says it involves counting votes with all the different scanners and machines the board uses. Searcy says the testing takes about 2 to 3 hours to complete. The Secretary of State requires it take place and the company who provides the equipment also recommends it be done. During the 2008 general election, the Board's main tabulating computer shutdown and the count was delayed while a replacement was brought in from a secure location. This year the Board of Election's has 3 machines ready to go. Two of them are at the main headquarters on Broadway and the other will still remain in a secure location. The real counting begins Tuesday evening when the polls close at 7:30. Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:48:07 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8038 Cincinnati Council Members will be back to work this week after taking off the month of July. During the summer, Council only meets once a month. So there will be much to do this week. The Budget and Finance, Job Creation and Public Safety Committees will be meeting today. Then Quality of Life and Livable Communities sessions will be tomorrow. All those meetings are being held at the Duke Energy Center. On Wednesday, the full Council session will be at the new School for the Creative and Performing Arts on Central Parkway. The Budget and Finance Committee has also scheduled a special meeting for Thursday at the Convention Center. Members will be hearing about a report from a group who looked at ways of solving the looming shortfall in the city's pension fund. Panel members reviewed several ideas, but didn't make specific recommendations for Council to adopt. The summer meetings are being held away from the Council Chamber at City Hall. That's because crews are using the lighter schedule to restore more of the historic ceiling in the chamber. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:22:39 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8040 The leader of an Ohio Hispanic group wants Butler County's Sheriff to tone it down in the wake of the Arizona immigration law rhetoric. Jason Riveiro, state director for LULAC, The League of United Latin American Citizens, says in the last three weeks there have been at lease five different incidents involving assault on Hispanics. He blames Sheriff Richard Jones in part for supporting an Arizona type law in Ohio. "Mr. Jones would have us to believe we are like Arizona and the facts show otherwise. We are not a border state and we have less than one percent, and probably even less than that, of immigrants that are undocumented." Riveiro held a news conference Thursday calling on the community to come together in the wake of comments by Jones and others. Jones says he's not at fault. "You know I don't make these things happen. You know it's just a small percent. A large percent come here for a better life, that's good. But you've gotta come here legally. But don't, for the small percent who bring drugs in, commit crimes while you're here..don't commit these crimes while you are here, or you will end up in my jail. That part is true." The Sheriff says he tried to improve relations with the Hispanic community by meeting with clergy and Latino representatives, but stopped when it appeared they had done all they could do. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/LULAC.mp3 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:41:19 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8039 State Senator Eric Kearney wants Ohio to start collecting interest on money used in real estate purchases as a way to head off foreclosures. Right now, earnest money is held by real estate brokers in non-interest bearing accounts until the home buying process is complete. Kearney says Senate Bill 295 would allow the state to collect interest on that money and use it to fund foreclosure prevention programs. Says Kearney, “It may not seem like a lot if you only looked at the transactions on your street or in your neighborhood. But if you look at the entire state of Ohio and all of the residential real estate transactions that occur in our state, those dollars could add up and could make a significant difference.” He says the idea for the bill came from his own experience in real estate and from collaboration with area realtors. Ohio Association of Realtors C-E-O Bob Fletcher says the group doesn't have an official position on the bill but plans to look into it. However, he says a similar idea was discussed in the past but was dropped, in part, because it wouldn't have generated much money. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:09:55 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8036 The Hamilton County Commissioners and the county Prosecutor are still trying to work out an agreement to let the commission use outside lawyers. Commissioner David Pepper says both sides are making progress. But he says the key issue to be resolved is—who's in charge of the outside counsel. Pepper and Todd Portune voted Wednesday for a plan to let the commission be in charge of any outside lawyers it uses. The Prosecutor had presented an arrangement to let his office supervise those activities. It's likely a Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge will mediate the issue and fashion an agreement. The issue involves attorney Tom Gabelman, with Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease. He's been representing the county commission on riverfront development issues including The Banks project. A temporary agreement for him to continue working for the commissioners expires Thursday. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:58:13 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=8002 Most Ohioans say that jobs and the economy are the top issues they're concerned about. That's why backers of Republican candidate for governor John Kasich are trying to capitalize on an endorsement he's just won. It comes from a major group of small businesses. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen files this report. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/KasichEndorse.mp3 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:49:23 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7986 Once again, an endorsement has come for Gov. Ted Strickland that may be bad news for many of his supporters. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Gunendorsement.mp3 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:26:49 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7954 A new independent public opinion poll confirms what others have found - the race for an open U.S. Senate seat from Ohio remains very close. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/FisherPortman.mp3 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:07:39 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7933 Tuesday's speech from the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor was likely calculated to bring in support from Ohio's urban areas - Gov. Ted Strickland is from southeast Ohio, and has spoken about it extensively. The spokesperson for Strickland's Republican opponent John Kasich used the Governor's words in reacting to the speech - and that reaction has gotten some backlash of its own. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Backlash.mp3 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:09:49 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7899 Democratic Governor Ted Strickland has just received a remarkable and potentially powerful endorsement in his bid for re-election. It comes from the National Rifle Association. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/nra.mp3 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:24:46 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7890 The two major candidates running to replace Republican Mary Taylor as Ohio's Auditor are vowing they won't raise taxes. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Auditor.mp3 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:28:36 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7844 Conservative activists in the Tea Party movement have been pushing for a statewide vote on a plan they say would let Ohioans exempt themselves from mandates in the new federal health insurance reform law. But now, it appears that the petition drive that's needed to put that plan onto the ballot is faltering. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/PetitionFalters.mp3 Tue, 1 Jun 2010 16:56:46 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7836 A new "Ohio Poll" from the University of Cincinnati shows Governor Ted Strickland with a 5 point lead over his Republican challenger John Kasich. The survey was conducted earlier this month and for the first time includes interviews with both landline telephone and cell phone users. 49 percent of Ohio likely voters say they'll vote for Strickland, 44 percent selected Kasich and 7 percent are undecided or intend to vote for another candidate. Poll Co-director Eric Rademacher says it's an early snapshot of the race. The new poll shows a virtual tie in the race to replace retiring U.S. Senator George Voinovich. 47 percent of likely voters say they'll vote for Democratic Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, 46 percent for former Cincinnati Congressman, Republican Rob Portman and 7 percent are undecided or intend to vote for another candidate. Rademacher says independent voters once again may be the key to who wins the senate seat and governor's job. Another poll could be conducted this summer although it's more likely a survey will happen after Labor Day. Fri, 28 May 2010 13:24:05 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7774 If a conservative citizens groups gets it way, Ohio voters will face a ballot issue that proclaims the state constitution and state law are sovereign over federal laws. The group has been given the green light to try to collect 402-thousand petition signatures to put the measure onto the ballot. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Limits.mp3 Fri, 14 May 2010 11:48:09 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7722 The polls will be open in Ohio from 6:30 Tuesday morning until 7:30 in the evening. Voters in Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont counties will be deciding dozens of issues as well as several contested primary races. Board of Elections Director Sally Krisel is expecting turnout to run about 25 to 30 percent in Hamilton County. She says she's seen a lot of interest in absentee voting: "It's very high. I think since we started sending applications to all voters, the number of people who are choosing to vote by absentee has really skyrocketed. It's a covenient way to vote and we're just seeing more voters use that method." Krisel says Hamilton County Voters requested almost 44,000 absentee ballots and as of Monday had returned 75 percent of them. In Warren County, Board of Elections Director Keir Holeman is expecting turnout to run from 23 to 30 percent: "And I say that just because we have some local issues like the Republican county commissioners race and some local school issues that could bring out a little more voters than typical in this type of election." Clermont County is expecting a similar turnout. Butler County is looking for 18 to 23 percent of voters to go to the polls. Besides the local issues and candidates, there are Republican primary races for Ohio secretary of state and auditor. Democrats Lee Fisher and Jennifer Brunner are vying for their party's nomination to run for U.S. Senate. There are several contested congressional primaries in southwest Ohio. And voters will decide on two statewide isses. Issue 1 extends Ohio's Third Frontier program. Issue 2 allows Columbus to change the location of its planned casino. Mon, 3 May 2010 17:55:46 EST http://www.citizenscivicrenewal.org Cincinnati residents have another chance this week to comment on the city's next budget. Citizens for Civic Renewal and several other groups began the sessions last week with 2 gatherings. Executive Director Steve Johns says each attracted about 30 people who discussed city spending in small groups. He says there's been good diversity and those attending are active in the community. Johns says he was surprised how quickly, with some debate, residents were able to trim $50 million from the budget. He says those attending surprisingly supported making 10 to 20 percent cuts to the police department, which is a significant portion of the city's general fund budget. Other reductions discussed include the fire department, parks, recreation and human services. Johns says participating residents also expressed support for increasing city revenues. That could include higher property, income and admission taxes in addition to fees to collect garbage and at city parks. The last neighborhood session will be Wednesday evening starting at 6 at Midway School. An all city meeting will be held next month. The results will be presented to the Mayor and Council Members as they work to close another deficit in next year's city budget. Mon, 3 May 2010 04:22:36 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7717 How did a group pushing a referendum on slot machines at Ohio race tracks collect 1.55 million dollars for its signature-gathering effort? That's the question that Ohio's top elections official has been asking, but the group has avoided answering it in detail. Now, though, the state supreme court has issued an important ruling in the dispute. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Info.mp3 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:08:05 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7680 Some Ohio voters may be surprised on election day to see that there's yet another ballot issue on casino gambling. That's why backers of the proposal have just launched a million dollar blitz of TV commercials, explaining what it's all about. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/ColCasino.mp3 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:53:24 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7656 The two statewide officeholders vying for the Democratic nomination for US Senate met in their only full-scale debate today. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler was one of the journalists who questioned the Lt. Gov. and the Secretary of State at the Cleveland City Club. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/DemocratDebate.mp3 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:44:32 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7648 The two high-profile Democrats who want their party's nomination for US Senator will meet this week for what is thought to be their first broadcast debate - and it will likely be their last as well. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler has a preview. (WVXU will carry the debate Tuesday night at 7:00) http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/SenateDebate.mp3 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:08:15 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7620 Everyone arrested on felony charges in Ohio will soon be required to give police a DNA sample from their mouth. It's a major expansion of the state's DNA testing program that legislators approved and Governor Ted Strickland today signed into law. Supporters say it will help courts convict guilty criminals and, at the same time, free the innocent. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/DNAtests.mp3 Tue, 6 Apr 2010 09:10:07 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7623 The leader of the Ohio Democratic Party says he still has plenty of questions about the finances of Republican gubernatorial candidate John Kasich....even after he released some personal financial information last week. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles has details: http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/kasichmoney.mp3 Tue, 6 Apr 2010 09:09:50 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7613 Ohio's attorney general is giving the legal green light to Tea Party activists who want to put an issue onto the statewide ballot, seeking to exempt Ohioans from mandates in the health insurance law that Congress just approved. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/HealthIssue.mp3 Fri, 2 Apr 2010 14:39:32 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7598 A new independent public opinion poll shows a mini-surge for Democrats in some key election races, and there are signs that's due to passage of the national health care bill. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Surge.mp3 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:12:49 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7593 A new independent public opinion poll shows that Lee Fisher appears to be pulling away from Jennifer Brunner in the Democratic primary race for a U.S. Senate seat from Ohio. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen has the latest numbers. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/BrunnerFisher.mp3 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:31:10 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7493 Former Cincinnati Vice Mayor Alicia Reece is being sworn in at 1:30 Wednesday afternoon as the state representative for the 33rd Ohio House District. She'll replace Representative Tyrone Yates, who recently resigned to take a seat on the Hamilton County Municipal Court. A release from the House Speaker says Reece was picked by a Democratic caucus screening committee. She was the youngest woman ever elected to Cincinnati City Council at the age of 28. She also served in the Ohio Department of Development as Assistant Director for Travel and Tourism. The district she'll represent includes neighborhoods in eastern Cincinnati as well as Deer Park, Elmwood Place, Golf Manor, Norwood, Silverton, St. Bernard and parts of Columbia, Springfield and Sycamore townships. Wed, 3 Mar 2010 11:55:14 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7488 Ohio's top elections official has been ordered to stop her probe into where an Ohio group raised money to push for a referendum on slot machines at race tracks. As statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports, though, this court order is not the final word on the dispute. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Stay.mp3 Tue, 2 Mar 2010 15:35:41 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7482 It looks likely that Ohioans will vote in November on whether electronic slots machines should be legalized at race tracks, but a side issue continues to flare up. It involves a dispute over how backers of the referendum raised the money to get it onto the ballot. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Slots%20controversy.mp3 Mon, 1 Mar 2010 15:26:45 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7476 Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has launched an investigation into the funding behind the group that is taking Gov. Strickland's slots-at-racetracks plan to the November ballot. The group LetOhioVote.org claims it received 1.5 million dollars from a little known Washington based organization called New Models. The Strickland administration has suggested the campaign against his slots plan was financed by casino interests. Former Republican state representative Tom Brinkman of Cincinnati is one of the three leaders of LetOhioVote.org, and says he doesn't know anything about his group's chief backers, and says the investigation is politically motivated: "I have no idea if it's coming from casinos or where ever because I don't know how that would happen. We filed a fully documented report with the secretary of state's office. She's certainly trying to make some political hay to support her flagging Democrat senate nomination campaign." New Models is thought to have ties to Sarah Palin and former Ohio Republican candidate for governor Ken Blackwell, who was defeated by Strickland in 2006. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:09:27 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7460 Republican candidate for governor, John Kasich is ridiculing the proposed passenger train project linking Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati. He says Ohio should use the federal grant for other projects, but officials at the Ohio Department of Transportation say that's impossible. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/KasichTrains.mp3 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:29:52 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7457 The race for governor is changing in a new poll, which showed the candidates deadlocked a few months ago. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler has the details. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/QP2.mp3 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:55:39 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7430 Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray has formally announced his bid for re-election. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles has more on the story. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Announcement.mp3 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:12:50 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7421 The candidate filing deadline is coming up February 18. There are a Republican and a Democrat running for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice, and in spite of some rumors about another well-known candidate joining the contest, one expert says that race won't change. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Supco%20Race.mp3 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:44:54 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7397 A group that wants Ohioans to vote on whether slot machines should be allowed at state racetracks is taking action. As Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reprots, the group submitted more petition signatures than they need to meet the threshold to put the issue on the November ballot. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/SlotsVote.mp3 Mon, 8 Feb 2010 15:02:52 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7365 It's now official. Ohio Democrats have a new candidate for Secretary of State. The story now from Bill Cohen at our statehouse news bureau. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Candidate.mp3 Mon, 1 Feb 2010 12:38:46 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7340 Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has chosen a former Franklin County Judge to be his running mate. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Stricklandrunningmate.mp3 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:45:21 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7322 The Republican who wants to be Ohio's next governor says the state's current auditor will be his running mate. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles has details. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/LTGOV.mp3 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:16:33 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7202 Polls show Democratic Governor Ted Strickland is facing a tough re-election bid against Republican John Kasich. And now, Strickland is facing a challenge on his left flank. A Green Party activist has announced he's running for governor. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Competition.mp3 Wed, 9 Dec 2009 15:28:01 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7186 The group that won the right to take the governor's slots at racetracks plan to voters says it now has the signatures to do just that. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Slots.mp3 Mon, 7 Dec 2009 11:10:31 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7162 Ohio voters next year may be asked to renew a state government program that hands millions of taxpayer dollars to high-tech companies that are just starting up. Supporters say the program is a proven job-creator.....but there are critics who say --- government should butt-out! Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Third%20Frontier.mp3 Tue, 1 Dec 2009 10:54:19 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7109 Now that voters have approved casinos in four Ohio cities, some people are wondering what will happen to Gov. Strickland's plan to install slot machines at racetracks. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled the slots plan couldn't just be tacked onto the state budget, but that voters had to be able to weigh in on it. LetOhioVote.org won that decision, and spokesman David Hansen says the group is still gathering signatures to put the plan before voters. He's concerned future governor's might try to go around the state consitution to get out of a political jam. Since the vote wouldn't happen till May at the earliest, Gov. Strickland has said he is no longer counting on slots revenue to balance the budget. But Hansen says it's an important precedent to set. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:19:18 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7100 A new poll shows that, for the first time this year, a Republican is ahead in the race for a U.S. Senate seat from Ohio. With more on the story, here's Ohio Public Radio's Bill Cohen. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Senate%20race.mp3 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:46:21 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7091 A new public opinion poll has bad news for Governor Ted Strickland. It shows his job approval rating is continuing to sink and his Republican challenger in next year's election has pulled even with him. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen has the numbers. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/GovRace.mp3 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:05:19 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7072 During the heated campaign over the ohio casino ballot issue, there were suspicions that a Minnesota casino company was helping finance the Vote YES side. Backers of the plan said that wasn't true, but now it turns out --- it is true. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Out%20of%20state.mp3 Thu, 5 Nov 2009 14:21:07 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7068 Ohio's political leaders are already preparing for next November's gubernatorial election. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/2010.mp3 Wed, 4 Nov 2009 17:46:33 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7067 Just hours after Ohio voters okayed a ballot issue authorizing gambling casinos in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Toledo some critics are already proposing changes. And under one scenario, voters would be asked to approve them next May. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Next.mp3 Wed, 4 Nov 2009 15:58:14 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7061 Just eight percentage points separated the two Cincinnati mayoral candidates, with incumbent Mark Mallory coming out on top. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/mallory%20wenstrup.mp3 Wed, 4 Nov 2009 01:42:09 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7058 The Health District levy in Warren County passed with 56 percent support. However, the Career Center levy was defeated with 65 percent against it. The top four in the Batavia Village Council race were Kathy Turner, Earl Carter, Steve Staton and Robert Handra. The top four in the Amelia Village Council race were Todd Hart, Derrick Campbell, Chuck Thacker and Bob Pollitt. Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:32:19 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7040 No one's expecting as many voters tomorrow as during last year's presidential election, but Board of Elections Directors across Southwest Ohio say so far absentee voting has been busy. Warren County Director keir Holeman says more than 5,000 have voted early. He says issues may bring people out tomorrow. In Hamilton County Director Sally Krisel says she expects about a 40% turnout. The polls are open tomorrow from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm Mon, 2 Nov 2009 04:24:50 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7044 The Montgomery man who faced charges of voter application fraud pleaded guilty today in Hamilton County Court. 27-year-old Walter Sullivan worked for a company collecting signatures for Ohio's casino issue, and admitted he filled in phony information on absentee ballot applications. Prosecutors say he did it to appear busy because he wasn't paid by the application. When sentenced December 3rd, he could get five years in jail. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:15:44 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7034 Some Ohio farmers worry they will be regulated out of business if Ohioans pass state issue two, the proposed constitutional amendment that would create an appointed board to determine how livestock is handled in the buckeye state. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Farmers%20on%202.mp3 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:17:14 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7031 With just a week to go before election day, Ohio casino developers are making a promise to voters --- the businessmen are vowing to hire local residents for almost all of the jobs that would be created. Statehosue correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Casino%20jobs.mp3 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:15:03 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7015 Supporters of that casino ballot issue are out-spending opponents when it comes to campaign money. That's the bottom line from finance reports that both sides have just filed with Ohio elections officials. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen has details. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Issue%20spending.mp3 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:24:59 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7012 Less than 2 weeks before election day, thousands of Ohioans are already casting absentee ballots on that proposal to authorize a gambling casino in the four biggest cities, but that's not stopping some state legislators from proposing alternatives. The new proposals are drawing fire from supporters of the casino ballot plan, state issue 3. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Casino%20counter.mp3 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:53:10 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7007 Hamilton County's Prosecutor says one person is responsible for recent voter application fraud, not the casino campaign for which he was collecting signatures. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports. A Montgomery man, who may have been trying to impress his bosses, has been indicted for voter application fraud in Hamilton County. 27-year-old Walter Sullivan worked for Field Works, the group hired to collect signatures for the casino issue in Ohio. Prosecutor Joe Deters says Sullivan forged applications for dozens of people. He's been indicted for five of those. Deters says Ohio Jobs and Growth, the organization backing Issue Three had no knowledge of Sullivan's alleged activity. He says one reason he made this investigation a priority was because the other side was using the case as a political ploy. Sullivan's attorney, Mike Allen, says his client maintains his innocence. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/voter%20indict.mp3 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:01:20 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=7008 Don't be surprised if someone comes up to you on the street and asks you to sign a petition to force a referendum next year on that plan to authorize 17,500 electronic slot machines at Ohio race tracks. The governor and state legislators okayed the plan, but critics of the process say voters should get the final say. The critics won a lawsuit at the Ohio Supreme Court, and the ruling clears the way for a statewide vote on the slots plan --- if the critics collect about 240-thousand petition signatures of registered voters. Carlo Loparo speaks for Let Ohio Vote --- that's the group behind the drive for a referendum. He says the goal is to turn in 500-thousand signatures by December 18. Loparo's group says it's not for or against the slots plan itself but is firm about letting voters have the final word on it. Loparo leaves the door open to the possibility that the referendum drive might accept money from casino developers who don't want competition from slots-at-the-tracks. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:38:32 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=6991 As lawmakers continue to look over the plan to roll back the final 4.2 percent cut in the state income tax that took effect at the beginning of the year. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler talked with two veteran strategists about the possible political fallout of this proposal. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Fallout.mp3 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:29:10 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=6990 Lots of people in Hamilton County are taking advantage of early voting. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports. The number of people voting early in Hamilton County has doubled since 2007. Board of Elections Director Sally Krisel has been looking at the numbers since early voting began this September 29th. She says more and more people are voting absentee because of the law change that allowed people to vote by mail and not to have a specific reason to vote by mail. Also she says it was such a successful and advertised way of voting last November. She says it's more convenient and saves time. Until Election Day, people can vote in person at the Board. It's open from 8-4 now, and Saturday 8-12. Beginning the week of the 19th voters can cast ballots until 8 at night. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/early%20voting%20numbers.mp3 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:34:45 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=6952 Several people are believed responsible for committing apparent voter application fraud in Hamilton County. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/application%20fraud.mp3 Wed, 7 Oct 2009 16:08:30 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=6951 The Hamilton County Commissioners say they're getting closer to finishing a budget for next year, but there's still a lof of work in the next few weeks. County Administrator Patrick Thompson will give his recommedations at Monday's commission meeting. Then there will be a series of public hearings. The first will be during the commission's regular meeting next Wednesday at 10 a.m. There will be two meetings held in the community. One will be at the Sharonville Convention Center, 11355 Chester Rd., October 21 at 7 p.m. The other is at the Colerain Township Senior Center, 4300 Springdale Rd., October 26 at 7 p.m. The commissioners want to hear budget ideas from both county employees and the public. Commissioner David Pepper says the goal is to reach consensus on the budget by the 28th. Wed, 7 Oct 2009 13:29:22 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5854 A bill to deal with the so-called "golden week" in which first-time voters can register and cast ballots on the same day may come up for a vote in the lame-duck legislature. And lawmakers and activists from both sides have their concerns. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/voterreg.mp3 Wed, 3 Dec 2008 07:44:40 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5801 It looks like a fight over provisional ballots will be heard in the Federal Court System. A Federal Judge has refused to send the case to the Ohio Supreme Court. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles has details. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/provisional.mp3 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:14:31 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5757 Just hours after seeing their casino ballot issue clobbered at the polls across Ohio, supporters of the gambling plan are insisting they will come back with ANOTHER casino plan for voters to consider. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Retry.mp3 Wed, 5 Nov 2008 15:51:49 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5755 First District Republican Congressman Steve Chabot is planning what to do next, after being defeated by Steve Driehaus. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/chabot.mp3 Wed, 5 Nov 2008 14:50:47 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5754 It was a tough night for Ohio Republicans - after losing the top of the ticket, as well as the only statewide office on the ballot. But while party leaders are disappointed, they say they're not discouraged. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Republican%20plans.mp3 Wed, 5 Nov 2008 14:19:26 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5752 Ohio's 2nd District congresswoman jean Schmidt and 8th District Congressman John Boehner won re-election last night as did Kentucky's 4th District Congressman Geoff Davis but long term Ohio 1st District Congressman Steve Chabot lost to democratic challenger Steve Driehaus. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky won re-election last night defeating his democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford. Democrat Todd Portune was re-elected to the Hamilton County Commission, Republican Greg Hartmann was also elected to the commission. Patricia Clancy won the Clerk of Courts race and Rebecca Groppe won the county recorder's race in the unofficial count. Robert Goering won the county treasurer's race. Cincinnati voters approved a charter amendment preventing red light cameras in the city, but defeated a proposal to change the way city council is elected to proportional representation. Former Hamilton County Commissioner Pat DeWine was elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas defeating Norma Davis. Jerry Metz was elected to the Court of Common Pleas over Fred Nelson. Wed, 5 Nov 2008 06:11:35 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5751 For the fourth time in 18 years, Ohioans have voted NOT to allow casino gambling here. The vote against state issue 6 was overwhelming - with more than 60% of voters rejecting the measure. But, as statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen, two different factions on the vote no side have two different "spins" on what the vote means. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Casino%20loses.mp3 Wed, 5 Nov 2008 01:02:31 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5750 Vastly outspent, supporters of a crackdown on payday loans in Ohio have won a smashing upset victory. Ohioans have voted to KEEP new limits on short-term loan interest rates. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Payday%20wins.mp3 Wed, 5 Nov 2008 01:00:05 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5749 Some problems with voting in Kenton County this morning have forced the county clerk to shut down the e-slate voting machines.. County Clerk Rodney Eldridge says there were problems in ten or twelve precincts. The e-slate is the newer of the two voting machines available to cast ballots. Eldridge says when a voter tried to vote a straight party ticket either Democrat or Republican one of the races would not light up. He says the Board of Elections had a meeting this morning at nine to determine what to do. Eldridge says Circuit Judge Pasty Summe attended the meeting. He says he doesn't think taking the machines off line will affect how long people have to wait to vote. He also says the lines have already been long all day. He expects up to 75 percent of registered voters to cast ballots today. Tue, 4 Nov 2008 11:26:29 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5745 The latest Ohio Poll shows Senator Barack Obama is likely to be the winner in the Buckeye state tomorrow on election day . The poll conducted from October 29th through yesterday shows 51.5% of likely voters support Obama with 45.7% supporting John McCain. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.7%. The University of Cincinnati sponsors the Ohio Poll. Mon, 3 Nov 2008 09:43:44 EST http://vote.ky.gov/ The director of the Hamilton County Board of Elections is predicting a voter turnout of 80 percent for tomorrow's election. Sally Krisel says the county has already seen a 20 percent turn out through absentee and early voting. She says officials are ready. There will be 3,700 poll workers throughout the county. Krisel says voters should study the candidates and issues before going to the polls. She says the ballot is two pages long and will take some time to complete. Voters should also make sure to bring their ID's. The polls will be open between 6:30 AM and 7:30 PM. Krisel says there's a contingency plan in place in case the county is ordered to keep them open later. In Kentucky, the Secretary of State's office has issued a list of do's and don'ts for voters. Do ask workers for help if you need it and let officials know immediately if you have any problems. Don't campaign or solicit votes within 300 feet of a polling place. And don't be discouraged by long lines or ballots. Kentucky polls are open between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Mon, 3 Nov 2008 04:31:03 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5742 Early voting is a hit. But just when some of those ballots in the Cincinnati area will be counted is causing concern. As of Thursday evening more than 21,000 people had visited the Hamilton County Board of Elections to vote early. But those who do so Saturday and Monday may be surprised to learn their ballots will not be counted on election night this Tuesday. Instead those choices will be tabulated sometime after November 14th during the official election count. Don Mooney is a county liaison for the Ohio Democratic Party's "Protect the Vote" program. He says that's disappointing considering the enthusiasm of early voters. The reason for the delay is processing at the board of elections. Board Member Tim Burke says it's a timing issue of getting the precinct books ready for November 4th. That has to be done in advance so officials at the polls will know who has voted early or requested an absentee ballot. With voting this weekend officials won't have time to update the books before Tuesday. Burke says the board has to make sure a voter doesn't cast two ballots. Mooney points out that officials in Columbus and Cleveland will be counting early votes cast through Monday on election night. Hamilton County officials acknowledge that, but say those counties employ extra temporary help to get the precinct books ready. Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:49:29 EST http://www.vote.ky.gov/rumorcontrol If you're a voter in Kentucky who's hearing confusing rumors about the election process in the Bluegrass State, the secretary of state's office has set up a webpage to help you sort out what's true and what's false. Spokesman Les Fugate says one of the most common rumors is that a voter will be turned away for wearing campaign apparel at a polling place. While electioneering, such as campaigning or soliciting votes, is prohibited within 300 feet of Kentucky polling places, Fugate says the wearing of campaign buttons, hats or shirts won't prevent you from voting as long as you're not drawing attention to it. The webpage deals with a dozen rumors that have been floating around in the days leading up to the election. Fugate says if you hear one that's not on the list, you should contact the Kentucky Secretary of State's office immediately so they can clear it up quickly. Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:46:40 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5737 Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner says it's impossible to make modifications to the sytem of checking voter registrations that would allow the Ohio Republican Party to get the information it has been seeking. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports Brunner says it will be necessary to scrap the current system once this election is over. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Scrap%20system.mp3 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:16:17 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5728 With less than a week before election day, the contest over that gambling casino ballot issue is growing more and more bitter......and polls are showing momentum for CRITICS of the measure. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen has the latest. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Casino%20fight.mp3 Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:22:30 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5727 Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama is still ahead in Ohio, but, just days before election day, his lead over Republican John McCain is shrinking, according to the latest independent statewide public opinion poll. Ohio Public Radio's Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Lead%20shrinks.mp3 Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:02:10 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5718 With just a week until election day, both major presidential candidates campaigned in Ohio today. From member station WMUB, Tana Weingartner reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Dayton.mp3 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:57:18 EST http://www.nationalmockelection.org Like thousands of other students across the country, Kentucky school kids are making their pick for President of the United States this week. The Kentucky Secretary of State's office is helping conduct polling in the Bluegrass State for the National Mock Election. Spokesman Les Fugate says the polls will close Thursday at 5 p.m. In addition to the presidential vote, Kentucky students will be voting on races for the Senate and Congress. They'll also be asked what they consider to be the most important issue in the election. Fugate says more than 300 Kentucky schools representing 100,000 students will be participating. He says organizers hope the mock election will help students form the habit of voting and demystify the process so they're comfortable voting when they turn 18. Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:24:47 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5712 The economy is the top concern for most voters, but the issue of abortion is still critical for many. And both those who are against abortion and those who support abortion rights are taking the issue to the airwaves. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Abortion%20ads.mp3 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:24:33 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5711 Statehouse News Bureau correspondent Bill Cohen presents this documentary on the Ohio casino ballot issue. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/http://www.statenews.org/media/cohen_casino_doc.mp3 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:48:22 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5708 Campaigns for and against a ballot proposal to set up one giant casino in Ohio have just broken a record here. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Issue%206.mp3 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:39:32 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5707 All this month, Ohioans who are voting "EARLY" have been voting on state issue 5, a referendum on part of a new state law that cracks down on payday loans. But up until yesterday, it wasn't a sure thing that the measure had even QUALIFIED for the ballot. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen explains. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Issue%205.mp3 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:38:58 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5709 If a new poll is correct and democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is indeed far ahead in Ohio, some democratic candidates for Ohio's house and senate might benefit from what's known as the coat tail effect. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Downticket.mp3 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:38:26 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5703 Election day is less than two weeks away and the Hamilton County board of Elections is still looking for poll workers. Deputy Director John Williams says as usual, Democrats are especially needed in the county and Republicans in the city of Cincinnati. Williams says lots of people are in touch about absentee ballots. He says more than 100,000 have been sent out, with about half returned. But he says lines at the Board of Elections are usually steady, but the wait is not usually very long. Williams says he hopes with absentee ballots, voters will have a better chance to look it over in the comfort of their own homes. He's also encouraging those waiting until Election Day to cast ballots to educate themselves in advance. He says the ballot is two pages long with a number of state and local issues to consider. Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:27:12 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5702 A new independent public opinion poll in Ohio shows Democrat Barack Obama surging and Republican John McCain floundering among likely voters. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Poll14.mp3 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:40:07 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5700 The Ohio Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit against Ohio's Secretary of State over the way voter registrations are handled. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Lawsuit.mp3 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:25:36 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5698 Cincinnati voters will decide in 2 weeks if they want to change the way City Council members are elected. Issue 8, if it's approved, would change the voting system to proportional representation. We discussed PR recently on WVXU's "Impact Cincinnati." But some of you e-mailed after the program saying the issue was confusing and needed more explanation. So we'll try to answer some questions. I spoke with Dan Hurley, who's a Cincinnati historian and the Director of Leadership Cincinnati... http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/DanforME.mp3 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:09:19 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5695 The Ohio Secretary of State's website was shut down as authorities investigate a security breach in the system. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Threats.mp3 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:31:49 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5694 A special prosecutor is investigating claims that some early voting in Hamilton County was fraudulent. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/91747.mp3 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:43:01 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5693 Ohio Governor Ted STrickland says newly registered Ohio voters are being subjected to scare tactics by republicans. But republicans say it's the democrats who are playing dirty. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Voters.mp3 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:23:23 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5656 Thousands of people turned out today at Ault Park in Mt. Lookout to hear Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama. WVXU's Katie Orr was there has this report. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Ault%20rally.mp3 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:27:31 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5671 A federal court is telling Ohio's Secretary of State to change the process she's been using for verifying voter registrations. As Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports, changes are being made to the system now that are meant to satisfy the concerns in that court order. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Invalid%20registrations.mp3 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:09:23 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5663 Less than a month before the election, the presidential race is a statistical toss-up, according to the latest poll monitoring the contest. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Newspaper%20Poll.mp3 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:52:43 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5659 Ohio's republican candidate for attorney general has filed a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission against his democratic opponent. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Complaint.mp3 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:29:43 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5657 Ohio is one of several states apparently using social security data to verify new voter registrations and check the voter rolls. And a judge says the way Ohio is doing that is illegal. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/OPRSoSVotReg.mp3 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:27:05 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5645 Ohio has just gone through a big increase in voter registrations. That's the word from the Secretary of State's office. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen has the story. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/OPRVoterRegis.mp3 Wed, 8 Oct 2008 04:58:28 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5630 If you'd rather not wait in line at the polls on Election Day, you do have the option of voting early at your county's board of elections. But what happens to your ballot between the time you cast it and it actually gets counted. WVXU's Katie Orr found out. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/BOE%20Ballots.mp3 Thu, 2 Oct 2008 16:11:15 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5621 Five weeks ago, several major independent public opinion polls showed Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain were virtually tied here in Ohio. Now, a new poll shows Obama surging. Ohio Public Radio's Bill Cohen has details. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Obama%20leading.mp3 Wed, 1 Oct 2008 10:42:13 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5620 In Southwest Ohio the flow of early voting, in some cases, is record breaking. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/91566.mp3 Wed, 1 Oct 2008 04:19:53 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5584 One day after a poll showed democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama leading his republican rival John McCain, a different poll shows the opposite result. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/September%20Ohio%20Poll.mp3 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:54:36 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5582 The Ohio Secretary of State's office is telling boards of election across the State to invalidate thousands of absentee ballott applications. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/91458.mp3 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:17:14 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5578 The latest poll of three battleground states shows most voters like Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. But as Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports, that same poll shows voters in two of those states, including Ohio, are leaning toward voting for Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/qpoll.mp3 Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:25:22 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5567 The Republican presidential ticket made a swing through Warren County today, making a stop right in front of Ohio's oldest inn, the Golden Lamb. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports... http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/McCain.mp3 Tue, 9 Sep 2008 16:43:17 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5565 Barack Obama made his seventh visit in Ohio today after accepting the Democratic nomination. The focus of his visit was education as he spoke to a small, invite only crowd at Stebbins High School in Riverside, a suburb of Dayton. WYSO's Emily McCord has more. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Obama%20Dayton.mp3 Tue, 9 Sep 2008 15:03:55 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5562 As Ohio Public Radio reported last month, a group of conservative ministers are asking pastors around the country to use their sermons on September 28 to defy IRS rules on endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. Now, a group of clergymembers in Ohio are blasting back with their own proposal and an IRS complaint. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Clergy.mp3 Mon, 8 Sep 2008 16:42:11 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5558 Farmers have traditionally been a strong voting block for the Republican party. But some of those farmers say they might be voting for democrats this year. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles has details. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Farmers.mp3 Mon, 8 Sep 2008 04:22:10 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5556 Yesterday, some Ohio labor unions, anti-poverty groups, and others dropped their campaign for a ballot issue that would require many Ohio businesses to offer workers at least 7 paid sick leave days a year. The action prompts a question --- did those groups waste a lot of money by pushing a plan and then abandoning it? Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Issue%20dropped.mp3 Fri, 5 Sep 2008 13:09:41 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5555 Former Second District Congressman Rob Portman is considering a run against Governor Ted Strickland in 2010. Member station WKSU's M.L. Schultze is at the Republican National Convention and files this report. Schultze says Portman is also considering running against Sherrod Brown for the U.S. Senate in 2012. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Portmangov.mp3 Thu, 4 Sep 2008 21:25:28 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5547 Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama aren't the only choices Ohio voters will have when they cast ballots in the presidential race in November. The voters will NOW have FOUR OTHER options. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Choices.mp3 Wed, 3 Sep 2008 13:56:35 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5539 Supporters of a new state law that slashes the interest charges payday lenders may charge have won a couple unexpected endorsements in their drive to protect the law from being repealed by voters in November. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Support.mp3 Tue, 2 Sep 2008 13:01:33 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5534 The Nutter Center in Dayton was the home to a major political event today, as Senator John McCain celebrated his birthday and announced that Sarah Palin of Alaska would be his Vice Presidential running mate. From member station WYSO, Emily McCord has more. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/McCAIN%20VP%20PICK.mp3 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:39:49 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5520 Over the next three days, Ohio will be at the epicenter of the presidential election contest. Both major party political candidates have appearances scheduled here. Ohio Public Radio's Bill Cohen has a preview. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/campaign.mp3 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:35:42 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5474 An independent public opinion poll puts the Democratic candidate for Ohio attorney general well ahead of the Republican, but GOP leaders still claim there's some good news for their side in the poll results. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen has the numbers. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/AG%20Race.mp3 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:22:52 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5451 With less than three months left before the vote, the leaders of the two major parties in Ohio are starting an exhausting tour of the state to drum up votes for their presidential candidates as well as those further down the ticket. They started with a conversation at the Statehouse, with Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Political%20tour.mp3 Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:47:19 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5448 Republican presidential candidate John McCain wants the federal government to see whether anti trust laws could be broken as a result of D H L's plans to contract services with United Parcel Service. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports: http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/mccain%20in%20wilimington.mp3 Fri, 8 Aug 2008 10:53:37 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5447 Ohio's payday loan industry is trying to collect enough petition signatures to challenge on the November ballot newly-passed limits on short-term loans. The referendum would give voters a chance to wipe out the new law, but the payday loan stores are facing some powerful opposition --- the state's top government officials. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen files this report. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Payday%20challenge.mp3 Thu, 7 Aug 2008 17:23:33 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5420 A new poll shows Republican Presidential candidate John McCain gaining ground against Democrat Barack Obama in Ohio. This key battleground state now appears to be a virtual toss-up. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen has the latest numbers. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Pres%20Poll.mp3 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:15:27 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5393 Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain appeared at a forum in Columbus last night, talking about his plans for cancer funding if he wins the White House. But not everyone had positive reviews of his speech. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/mccaincolumbus.mp3 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:31:36 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5366 Political TV commercials are the bread-and-butter of election year campaigning, and many people often complain they're too negative, untrue, and downright sleazy. Some religious activists here in Ohio are beginning to RATE the 30-second campaign ads to try to discourage candidates from going too far. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen files this report: http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Political%20ads.mp3 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:37:14 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5362 Senator John McCain talked about reforming education, energy policy and economic opportunity Wednesday during a speech to the NAACP convention. The presumed Republican presidential candidate seemed to get the loudest applause when he praised his likely Democratic opponent, Senator Barak Obama. Mc-cain called him an impressive fellow... During his speech McCain highlighted education choice that would let parents with children in failing schools use vouchers to send them to more successful ones. He also spoke about creating an alternate certification process for teachers and offering bonuses to those educators who do an outstanding job teaching students. He pledged if elected president he'll cut the size of government and reduce bureaucratic spending. Senator Obama addressed the NAACP convention Monday evening. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:58:24 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5352 Speaking to NAACP convention delegates in Cincinnati last night, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, brought an enthusiastic crowd to its feet many times. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/90941.mp3 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:21:54 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5346 Barack Obama rallied supporters at Dayton's Stivers School for the Arts today. The talk was all about energy and the future. From member station WMUB, Tana Weingartner reports for Ohio Public Radio. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Obama%20speech.mp3 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:13:05 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5342 Final preparations are under way for the annual national NAACP convention. About eight thousand delegates and visitors are expected to attend. WVXU's Katie Orr went Downtown to find out what some people are anticipating. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/NAACP%20Prep.mp3 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:47:07 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5290 Republican presidential hopeful john McCain is telling voters more needs to be done to help homeowners facing foreclosure. McCain was at Xavier University today for a town hall meeting with undecided voters. WVXU's Katie Orr was there and has this report. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/McCainTownHall.mp3 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:47:28 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5277 5 months before election day, Ohio Libertarians are heading to federal court, charging that their candidates are being unfairly denied their right to have their party label attached to their names on the ballot. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Party%20label.mp3 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:33:42 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5255 House Minority Leader John Boehner says rural Ohio will pose a problem for Barack Obama in November's election. Eric Niiler reports from Washington. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Ohio%20Obama.mp3 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:47:00 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5234 Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama says he has a plan that will give senior citizens a break. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports on his comments made at a Columbus retirement community Friday. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/OPRObama.mp3 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:11:38 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=5093 A new public opinion poll on the presidential race in Ohio shows - at the moment, Democrat Hillary Clinton running much stronger than fellow Democrat Barrack Obama when they're each matched - head to head --against Republican John McCain. From our statehouse news bureau, correspondent Bill Cohen has the latest numbers. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/New%20poll.mp3 Fri, 2 May 2008 11:03:17 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4885 Hillary Clinton has won Ohio's Democratic presidential primary election, but it's not going to help her much in catching up with Barack Obama in the crucial race for convention delegates. Ohio Public Radio's Bill Cohen has the latest... http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/OPRDemDelegates.mp3 Wed, 5 Mar 2008 11:31:36 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4884 Cincinnati school levy supporters are celebrating, now that the issue has passed. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports for much of the night it was too close to call. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/89844.mp3 Wed, 5 Mar 2008 01:55:32 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4881 Voters in about a half a dozen counties are finding their polling places have moved because of bad weather. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Bad%20weather.mp3 Tue, 4 Mar 2008 16:25:13 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4880 A steady stream of voters is heading to the polls today in Hamilton County. WVXU's Maryanne Zeleznik reports so far it's going smoothly: http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/election%20day.mp3 Tue, 4 Mar 2008 12:01:01 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4879 A new record turnout is expected in today's Ohio primary. The polls open at 6:30 AM and close at 7:30 PM. But thousands of voters have already cast ballot, using the no fault absentee voting system. Along with the presidential race, they're making decisions on the Cincinnati Public School Levy, a levy for the Cincinnati Zoo. They'll also elect Democratic and Republican candidates for Ohio's 2nd Congressional District seat. Tue, 4 Mar 2008 05:21:58 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4878 The presidential primary is such a big deal in Ohio that Lamar Advertising says it will post updates of the races on its digital billboards. General manager Tom Fahey says the company has a direct feed from the Ohio Secretary of State's office, and will begin putting up the numbers at 6:30 tomorrow night throughout Ohio, and on three billboards in Cincinnati. They include I-71 north at the McMillan and Blair Street overpasses, and I-75 southbound at Marshall Street. Fahey says the company also posted primary updates in Iowa and Alabama. Mon, 3 Mar 2008 16:42:14 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4875 While some polls show the Democratic presidential primary in Ohio as very close, the latest Ohio Poll has Senator Hillary Clinton nine points ahead of Senator Barack Obama. Poll Director, Eric Rademacher says his poll might be different because of the questions asked. The Ohio poll includes all the candidates on the ballot, even those who have suspended their campaigns. Rademacher says the final results will really depend on who turns out, the younger the turnout the better Obama will do, an older turnout is better for Clinton. On the Republican side this latest Ohio poll shows John McCain with 53% of the vote to 23% for Mike Huckabee. Mon, 3 Mar 2008 12:21:01 EST http://www.hamilton-co.org/boe/ Tomorrow is primary day in Ohio, and the Hamilton County Board of Elections is preparing for what could be a record turnout. WVXU's Jay Hanselman reports... http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/PrimElecPreview.mp3 Mon, 3 Mar 2008 04:34:25 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4865 It's not to late for Hamilton County residents to take advantage of early voting for next Tuesday's primary. The Board of Elections will be open until 8 o'clock Friday evening for in office absentee balloting. It will also be open Saturday from 8 to noon, and again Monday from 8 to 4. If you received an absentee ballot in the mail, Board of Elections Director John Williams says get it back as quickly as possible. He's encouraging that because of the different counting process. He says a rush of absentees on Monday or Tuesday could delay voting results on Tuesday night. The Board of Elections has already begun processing absentee ballots. Williams say they'll be scanned, but not counted until after the polls close. Williams says the board is setting records for this primary election. As of Thursday, voters had requested more than 44,000 absentee ballots. Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:55:12 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4866 For the last few weeks, Ohioans have been deluged with TV commercials, paid for by the official presidential campaigns of the two democrats, still battling for the party's presidential nomination - Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton. Now, there's a NEW round of TV ads....and, as ohio public radio's bill cohen reports, THEY are coming from a new source. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Campaign%20ads.mp3 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:15:18 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4858 A gender gap is showing up in the latest Ohio Poll, which is looking at some hypothetical match ups in the November Presidential Election. Director Eric Rademacher says registered voters were asked to choose between republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama and also McCain and Democrat Hillary Clinton. He says men generally chose McCain and women picked one of the democrats. Rademacher says in the poll of Ohio registered voters, Obama had 48% to 47% for McCain. When matched up with Clinton, McCain came out on top 51% to 47%. Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:08:48 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4857 Mike Huckabee says he's still running for the Republican presidential nomination because nobody has won it yet. He told hundreds of supporters at a campaign rally in Mason Tuesday afternoon that he's determined to keep going. He says the race isn't over yet since no GOP candidate has the 1,191 confirmed, pledged delegates needed. Huckabee touted his position on values, saying he's the only presidential candidate who supports a human life amendment to the Constitution. And he says he wants to do away with the Internal Revenue Service and the U-S tax code if he's elected, replacing them with what he calls a "Fair Tax," which is a retail consumption tax. Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:15:01 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4855 Presidential candidate John McCain is asking local Republicans for their support in next week's Ohio primary and during the fall election, if as expected, he's the GOP nominee. McCain hit on many familiar campaign themes Tuesday during a standing room only rally at Memorial Hall in Over The Rhine. He continued expressing his support for the war in Iraq. McCain says the troop surge last year made a difference. Senator McCain again said he would much rather lose the campaign, than lose a war. During his Cincinnati rally McCain secured the endorsement of former 2nd district Congressman Rob Portman. He's sometimes been mentioned as a McCain running mate. McCain also attended a town hall meeting in West Chester. The Ohio Poll released Monday shows him with a large lead over fellow Republican Mike Huckabee. Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:12:43 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4854 Republican Presidential candidate John McCain drew a large audience for a campaign rally Tuesday at Memorial Hall in Over The Rhine. But one of the warm-up speakers for the event attracted the attention of the national press corps with some of his remarks. WLW radio talk show host Bill Cunningham didn't have many nice things to says about Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama. Cunningham called him "a hack, Chicago style, Daley politician." Cunningham also accused the national media and networks of going out of their way to make sure a Democrat is the next president. During a press conference after the rally, Senator McCain was asked about the remarks. He offered an apology. The Senator wasn't in the building when Cunningham was speaking. He also says he has never met the conservative talk show host. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/CunninghamatMcCainrally.mp3 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:08:45 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4853 More presidential candidates visiting Cincinnati today. Republican front-runner John McCain will be speaking later today at Memorial Hall and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee will be at the Great Wolf Lodge in Mason this afternoon. Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:24:44 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4851 Barack Obama made a campaign appearance at the University of Cincinnati this afternoon, where he was greeted by thousands of cheering supporters. Obama outlined his policies, ranging from capping the emission of greenhouse gases to taking away tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas. He also said America needs foreign policy that makes sense. He criticized the war in Iraq, saying he would end it in 2009 if he's elected. Obama picked up the support of Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory during the campaign event. Mallory, who is a super delegate, said Obama is offering hope and inspiration and that's why he decided to endorse him for President. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:39:08 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4852 Five Cincinnatians hand picked to speak at a Barack Obama roundtable, detailed their financial struggles today. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/89753.mp3 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:38:52 EST http://www.ipr.uc.edu/Services/OPPressRelease.cfm Likely Ohio voters still favor Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, but not by as much as they used to. She leads Barack Obama 47% to 39% in the latest University of Cincinnati Ohio Poll. Poll Director Eric Rademacher says it's common for the candidate with the highest name recognition to lead in the polls before the campaign arrives in a state. The poll, which was conducted last Thursday through Sunday also showed John McCain with a commanding lead for the Republican nomination. Pollsters also asked what likely voters saw as the most important issues. The economy topped the list for both Democrats and Republicans. On the Democratic side health care and the war in Iraq came in second and third. More issues concerned Republicans with homeland security, the Iraq war, health care, abortion and taxes rounding out the list. The next Ohio poll will be released the day before the March fourth election. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:27:34 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4848 The Primary Election is about a week away, and the Director of the Hamilton County Board of Elections says it could set a record. John Williams told County Commissioners Monday morning turnout could hit more than 70 percent, which is a number usually seen in a General Election in November not a primary. He says the board is changing some procedures for next Tuesday evening to hopefully ensure more timely results. Those include handling the memory cards with results differently. They'll now be removed from equipment as soon as it reaches the Board of Elections headquarter's on Broadway Street. Williams says so far nearly 42,000 absentee ballots have been requested, but only 24,000 have been returned to the Board of Elections. He says if they all came back at the last minute it could slow the counting process. Williams is encouraging those with absentee ballots to return them as soon as possible. The Board of Elections is seeking permission from the state to start scanning those ballots on Thursday. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:12:09 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4847 Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama will be in Cincinnati today. Early this afternoon he'll host a town hall meeting about retirement security. Then later in the afternoon he'll speak at Fifth Third Arena. The event is open to the public, but campaign officials are encouraging people to come early. The doors will open at noon. Democrat Hillary Clinton was in Cincinnati over the weekend Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:25:01 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4820 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made an appearance at a packed Skyline chili in Oakley today in her quest to win Ohio's March 4th primary. WVXU'S Katie Orr reports. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/ClintoninCincy.mp3 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:24:24 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4818 The Democratic Presidential Campaigns are in Cincinnati today. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will be in Oakley this morning and the wife of Presidential Candidate Barrack Obama will be in Cincinnati tonight. Michelle Obama will speak at Music Hall at 6:00 p.m.. The event is free and open to the public. Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory will meet with both women today. He has not yet endorsed a candidate for president in the Democratic Primary. Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:55:48 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4816 Candidates Mitt Romney and John Edwards may not be actively pursuing the Presidency anymore, but they, along with other former contenders, will still appear on Ohio's primary ballot. Hamilton County Board of Elections director John Williams says unless they officially withdraw, instead of just suspending their efforts, they can still receive votes. He says to be taken out of the race candidates have to inform the state they want to withdraw. Williams says only Dennis Kucinich and Rudy Giuliani have officially asked to be removed from the ballot. But they made their requests to late. So their names will still appear, along with a notice informing voters a vote for either of them won't count. Ohio's primary is being held on March 4th. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/PrimaryBallot.mp3 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:33:01 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4808 With or without the help of a levy, the Cincinnati School Board now knows what it will take to balance the budget. WVXU's Ann Thompson reports on the proposed cuts. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/89643.mp3 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:03:43 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4804 Some Cincinnati Council members, and members of the African-American community believe changing the FOP's contract will prevent future so-called "bad cops" from being re-hired. But as WVXU's Ann Thompson reports, many also want more immediate action. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/89628.mp3 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:05:53 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4798 Ohio's presidential primary election is set for March 4th, but Ohioans don't need to wait until then to cast their ballots. One of the state's top politicians proved that point today (Monday). Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen filed this report. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Governor%20votes.mp3 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:21:00 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4794 Over the weekend Cincinnati school levy supporters began calling people to convince them to vote yes on Issue 10. The campaign has been quietly trying to gain endorsements and raise money for weeks. Xavier political scientist Gene Beaupre says a lot of campaign strategists would agree it's beneficial to be out front and get an early start when trying to pass a levy. But he does see reasons why that might not be a good idea. He says a long campaign costs money, and it's hard to keep voter interest for an extended period of time. He calls the behind the scenes effort to gain endorsements, and raise funds the silent phase. Beaupre says another challenge is targeting a large number of absentee voters. Campaigns often purchase the list from the Board of Elections. Levy spokeswoman Jan Leslie says soon there will be yard signs, and a neighborhood walk is planned for February 23rd. This will be an 8-mill levy on the march 4th ballot. The previous one that failed in November was 10 mills. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:41:30 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4773 The interest in the Ohio presidential primary is picking up. Hamilton County Board of Elections Director, John Williams says yesterday was the last day to register to vote and his office was busy with several thousand people dropping off registrations. The Association of Community Organizations For Reform Now or ACORN dropped off about 4,000 at a minute before five o'clock. Williams says many of those applications are likely to be change of address or duplicates. However he points out, interest in the election is also evident by the number of requests for absentee ballots. Williams says, this year with the no fault absentee voting, about 26-thousand people have already requested ballots, that's three times as many as voted absentee in the last presidential election in 2004. This year absentee voting hasn't even opened yet. Williams expect turnout in March will be well above the usual average which is around 34%. Mon, 4 Feb 2008 15:03:45 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4755 In just five weeks, Ohio voters will be casting ballots in the presidential primary....but there's been little visible campaign activity here. That's expected to change right after the Super Tuesday primary elections in many other states February 5th. Ohio Public Radio's Bill Cohen reports on how the top DEMOCRATIC candidates are gearing up their campaigns here. http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/Ohio%20primary.mp3 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:26:18 EST http://www.wvxu.org/news/wvxunews_article.asp?ID=4736 There's still a month and a half to go before Ohio's primary, so the Buckeye state hasn't been a top spot on the tour buses for candidates of either party, but residents and voters are watching and listening to what they're saying. Reporters from public radio stations across the state hit the streets to ask Ohioans which candidates have messages that resonate with them, if they're even paying attention to the presidential contests at all http://www.wvxu.org/news/audio/pinwheel.mp3 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 07:44:48 EST