Only 28.5% of Geauga’s Registered Voters Participated in the Primary Election;
Auditor Race is Too Close to Call
Geauga County Board of Elections (BOE) Special Meeting - May 5, 2026
Meeting Info - Special Meeting on May 5, 2026 in the BOE Conference Room at 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Suite 004 (Basement), Chardon, OH, 44024. The board entered into session at 6:25 am and remained in session until election results were finalized that evening at 11:26 pm. Attendance was in-person and virtual via MS Teams.
Public Comment Policy - The Board of Elections typically responds to questions about agenda items throughout the course of their meetings. Those exchanges are documented below as they occur.
Attendance: Present were:
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Board Chair - Dennis Pavella
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Board Member - Richard Piraino
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Board Member - Joan Windnagel
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Board Member - Janet Carson
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Director - Tyler Plants
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Deputy Director - Nora McGinnis
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Office Administrator - Scott Daisher
County Representatives: In person, Frank Antenucci, Deputy Chief Administrator & Chief Information Security Officer, Automated Data Processing (ADP).
Others: This Observer, virtually in the morning and then in person after 7:30 pm to observe tabulation of the election results.
Call to Order - The meeting was called to order at 6:25 am.
Opening of Polls: The Board voted to open the polls at 6:30 am.
Minutes - Minutes for the Regular Meeting on April 16, 2026 were approved without edits 4-0.
Payment of Bills - Invoices totaling $2,129.45 were approved unanimously and included:
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$1,020.95 to Karlovec Media for election notices
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$575.97 to Quill for office and kitchen supplies
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$211.72 to Tom Bevington for equipment delivery
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$137.72 to DEX Imaging for copier contract
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$99.70 to Guardian Alarm for monthly monitoring
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$65.43 to Nora McGinnis for mileage reimbursement
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$18.56 to Ted Gedeon for mileage reimbursement
Review Insufficient Absentee Ballots & Envelopes - Staff reviewed 1 absentee ballot where the voter did not return the ballot using the ID envelope. The Board voted 4-0 to reject the ballot. Observer Note: The absentee ballot ID envelope, Form 12-A, is used by BOE staff to confirm the voter’s eligibility and includes the voter’s name, address, date of birth, driver’s license or last 4 digits of SSN, and signature.
Provisional Ballot Processing - The Board voted 4-0 to instruct staff to process provisional ballots, bringing any questionable envelopes or ballots to the board for further scrutiny.
Regular Meeting Schedule - The Board voted 4-0 to make all future election day meetings regular meetings instead of special meetings.
Post May 5 Primary Election Meeting Dates - The Board initially voted unanimously to conduct the canvas and certification during the regularly scheduled meeting on May 21 at 9:00 am. When it later became apparent that a recount would likely be required for the Auditor race, they voted to cancel the regular meeting on May 21 and to instead schedule a special meeting on Friday, May 22 at 9:00 am. The Board noted that if recounts are required, the time frame to conduct the recount potentially overlaps with the Memorial Day holiday.
Polling Location Visits - Board members departed shortly after 8:30 am to visit polling locations throughout Geauga County.
Evening Session - The Board reconvened at the Board office and voted to close the polls at 7:30 pm. This Observer attended the evening portion of the meeting in-person in order to observe the tabulation process.
Absentee Ballots - Staff tabulated absentee ballots received during the early voting period and provided a report showing that 4,052 absentee ballots were cast. In response to a public records request, staff provided the Absentee Totals Report by Ballot Style as of May 5, 2026. Details from the report are presented below.
|
Description
|
Democratic
|
Issue Only
|
Libertarian
|
Republican
|
Total
|
|
Absentee Applications
UOCAVA
By Mail
Office, Hospital, Nursing Home
With Errors
Total Applications
|
17
798
951
12
1,778
|
2
25
6
8
41
|
0
18
6
0
24
|
0
850
1,577
35
2,462
|
19
1,691
2,540
55
4,305
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rejected Applications:
DOB Issue
ID Issue
Late
No party selected
# Rejected
Rejection Rate
|
1
2
4
5
12
<1%
|
0
0
1
7
8
19.5%
|
0
0
0
0
0
n/a
|
3
0
23
9
35
1.4%
|
4
2
28
21
55
1.3%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Absentee Ballots Issued
Absentee Ballots Returned
Return Rate
|
1,766
1,710
96.8%
|
33
31
94.0%
|
24
20
83.3%
|
2,427
2,360
97.2%
|
4,250
4,121
97.0%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Absentee Ballots Returned
Absentee Ballots Counted
Absentee Ballots Rejected
Ballot Rejection Rate
|
1,710
1,673
37
2.2%
|
31
30
1
3.2%
|
20
16
4
20.0%
|
2,360
2,333
27
1.1%
|
4,121
4,052
69
1.7%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Applications
Absentee Ballots Counted
Completion Rate
|
1,778
1,673
94.1%
|
41
30
73.2%
|
24
16
66.7%
|
2,462
2,333
94.8%
|
4,305
4,052
94.1%
|
Overall, 97% of voters returned their absentee ballot and 94.1% of returned ballots were verified and included in the unofficial total. Notably, Democratic Party and Republican Party voters were far more successful casting absentee ballots than Issues Only and Libertarian Party voters. Reviewer Note: The reasons for absentee ballot rejections were not provided in this report.
Election Day Ballots - Results were tabulated in batches with frequent updates made on the BOE website.
Unofficial Results - Absentee Ballots, Election Day Ballots and Write-in ballots for Central Committee races were tabulated and a final report showing unofficial results was produced around 10:16 pm. Notably, the County Auditor race was deemed too close to call, with only 4 votes separating the candidates. The Board voted 4-0 to accept the unofficial results of the May 5, 2026 Primary Election and to conduct the official canvas and certification on May 22 at 9:00 am. Board members agreed that an automatic recount of the Auditor race is likely.
Observer Note: Election Day results do not include provisional ballots or late-arriving Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voters Act (UOCAVA) ballots. By May 9, 2026, provisional ballots must be cured by voters of any deficiencies and UOCAVA ballots must be received by BOE. The Board will review provisional and UOCAVA ballots during the official canvas and certification meeting on May 22, 2026. Ballots accepted during that meeting will be scanned and tabulated, and the additional votes will be added to the unofficial Election Day totals to produce the official results.
Once official results are certified, the Board must consider whether any races meet the criteria for an automatic recount, as detailed in Chapter 11 of the Ohio Secretary of State Official Election Manual.
Results were relayed to the Secretary of State and posted to the BOE website by ADP staff. Key data included:
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Voter turnout was low, with only 28.51%, or 19,029 registered voters participating
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79% of voters cast their ballot on Election Day
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Republicans cast 58% of the 4,052 absentee ballots cast during early voting
Detailed reports of unofficial results are posted on the Geauga BOE website:
Meeting adjourned: The meeting was adjourned at 11:26 pm.
Next Meetings: The regular May 21 meeting is cancelled. Post election meetings include:
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Thursday, May 14 at 9:00 am - Public test of election equipment
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Friday, May 22 at 9:00 am - Official canvas and certification
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TBD - Possible recount of Auditor race
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TBD - Post election audit
Observer: Shelly Lewis
Editor: Rooney Moy
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Date Submitted: May 11, 2026
The League of Women Voters of Geauga is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. They do not support or oppose individual candidates or parties. Learn more about the LWVG at www.lwvgeauga.org.