The incoming deputy director, a Democrat, would assist elections director Alisha Lampert, a Republican, with the responsibilities of running county elections. In Ohio, county election departments work in pairs of Republicans and Democrats, aiming to ensure fairness.
McCoy declined to comment on her departure.
The four-member voting board — two Democrats and two Republicans — received five applications for the deputy position, two of them internal, board members said Tuesday.
Democrats put forward a motion to hire one of those candidates for deputy director five times Tuesday, with each vote of the board ending in a 2-2 tie. Many BOE tie votes are forwarded to Ohio’s Secretary of State, with Frank LaRose’s vote breaking the tie. But personnel tie votes do not go to the SoS, so the board was at a stalemate Tuesday.
The board eventually adjourned the meeting without a consensus, Democratic board member Kim McCarthy dissented in the vote to adjourn the meeting at all.
The current employment climate for elections staff across the state is “dismal,” McCarthy said.
“We all have an obligation to staff this board,” she said. “Alisha has gone long enough without the support of a deputy director. It shouldn’t go on any longer.”
Board Republicans Jan Basham and Bruce Hull instead suggested reposting the job application and offering a stipend to anyone who would move to Greene County to take the job.
Democrats said other counties have tried this, without luck.
The two Republican board members later said they voted against hiring the Democrats’ chosen candidate in part because today was the first time they had seen any of the submitted resumes for the position.
Hull added that he wished to see a candidate with more managerial experience.
“This is complicated business, and it’s very important we get it right,” he said.
Democrats argued the candidate is eminently qualified, having worked for the board of elections for years, partly in a managerial role.
The 2024 primary election in Ohio is March 19. It will feature party primaries in the races for president and U.S. Senate, and, depending on the county, primaries in races for U.S. Congress, state legislature and county offices, as well as local tax levies.
Greene County is currently on Administrative Oversight from the Ohio Secretary of State over multiple errors on the November ballot last year.
Board of Elections staff are required to regularly communicate with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office. Last fall, initial ballots listed the wrong number of candidates voters should select for Yellow Springs Village Council, and the wrong term of office in a race for Cedar Cliff Local Schools board.
While Boards of Elections are not required by law to have both a director and deputy director on staff for elections (Miami County, for example, had no deputy for November), it is highly recommended that they do, said Kenny Henning, the Southwest Ohio Liaison for the Ohio Secretary of State.
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