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WARREN -- The Trumbull County Board of Elections voted Tuesday morning to throw out the petitions of four Democrats running for Warren city council seats in the May 2 primary.
The board voted unanimously not to accept the candidate petitions of Warren 4th ward candidates Sher-ree Glover and Ronald Book and 5th ward candidate D'Andre Bowers. By a 3-1 vote, with Republican Ron Knight voting no, the board threw out the petition of another 4th ward candidate, Pierson J. Butcher Jr.
According to staff director Stephanie Penrose, Butcher did not fulfill the requirement of living in the ward for one year prior to the 2017 general election. Penrose said a check of his voting record in the Nov. 8 election showed he gave an address in Warren's 5th ward.
"The general election is scheduled for Nov. 7 this year," she told the board.
Later Tuesday afternoon, Penrose said Butcher informed her that he wants a hearing on the issue.
"I am awaiting an opinion from the prosecutor's office on how to proceed and am trying to contact the board members to agree upon a hearing date," Penrose said.
Butcher said the problem deals with an Election Day fire at his new home on Hazelwood Avenue in the 5th ward.
"I had to move back to my old home on Adelaide Avenue in the 4th ward by the night of Nov. 8," Butcher said, adding he changed his address with the Board of Elections in late November.
Bowers said he does not plan to appeal.
At the time of the vote, Board Chairman Mark Alberini said the board would not schedule hearings unless it had to upon request of the candidate.
Penrose said both Glover and Bowers did not have enough valid signatures on their petition. Glover had 21 valid signatures when she needed 25 and Bowers had 22 with 25 needed, she said.
Book's petition was rejected because he did not fill out the office sought at the top of the petition, Penrose said.
"We didn't know if he was going for an at-large or a ward position even though he may have verbally stated his intention," Penrose said.
By unanimous vote, the board approved the slate of the remaining Democrats, 14 Republican candidates plus local tax issues and questions.
Democratic contested races are for Niles municipal judge, Warren city auditor, Warren city treasurer, Warren 2nd ward council, Warren 5th ward, Warren 7th ward, Niles 1st ward, and Girard 1st ward. There will be no contested Republican races on May 2.
Deputy staff director Alan Shaker said approximately 86 of the county's 158 precincts will be open for voting May 2.
Shaker said the primary also will serve as a test run for the county's new electronic poll book system where voters will be signed in electronically. He said precincts in Warren and Champion will be part of the pilot e-book project.
Last summer, the board approved Election Systems & Software of Omaha, Neb., to provide electronic poll books for all voting locations across the county. Shaker said the state will pay 85 percent of the approximate $300,000 cost of the devices, with the county paying 15 percent, or about $45,000. The board expects county voters to use e-books for the November election.
"Any kinks in the system can be worked out in the primary election," Alberini said. "We will all be better for it."
gvogrin@tribtoday.com