CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — In Chillicothe, election results for the local city council race remained unchanged on Thursday during the official certification — despite a scandal involving potential voter tampering.
Republican Greg McKeever was initially declared the unofficial winner for the 5th ward on election night, and Dan DeMint for the 6th. However, an anonymous tip led to a felony investigation into ballot tampering, that threw the race into question.
The focus of the investigation centered on three employees at the Ross County Board of Elections, including two co-directors and one employee. Security camera footage allegedly captured misconduct, with witnesses claiming that McKeever’s Democratic opponent, Julie Thacker’s family member removed provisional ballots from a secure room. Thacker’s daughter, aligned with the Democratic party, faced a criminal investigation, though no charges have been filed.
Despite concerns, Ross County Prosecutor Jeff Marks, after reviewing security footage, found no evidence of illegal activity, he said on Tuesday. The investigation by the Secretary of State’s office will continue, however, with interviews of board employees expected next week.
The election held significance as Republicans sought to maintain a supermajority on the city council. The unfolding scandal raised concerns about potential manipulation of votes, emphasizing the gravity of any wrongdoing in the election process.
As the Board of Elections met to count provisional ballots, election officials and law enforcement assured the public that the investigation was taken seriously. The Secretary of State’s office emphasized their commitment to the highest election standards, acknowledging the seriousness of any impropriety.
Despite the ongoing investigation, the election results were officially certified on Thursday, maintaining McKeever and DeMint’s slim victory. McKeever picked up ten votes while Thacker only received eight through provisional voting. That was a change from before, where the twi held 555 and 550 votes.
“It’s an opportunity to get back into the city and help the city move forward,” said winner Jeff Creed, who won an at-large seat after retiring from the city fire department. “We will make improvements; I talked about fiscal responsibility and longer planning for resources in safety. It all sounds like buzzwords but we will improve those services.”
DeMint, who was present for the certification on Thursday echoed those sentiments.
“It’s a good first step to fight crime and clean up the east end. Drugs are running rampant and if we can get our emergency service numbers up, that’s goal number one.”
DeMint ultimately prevailed by 8 votes.