MOUNT VERNON — The Knox County Board of Elections certified 88 candidates on Aug. 15 for the Nov. 4 General Election.
Of the 111 candidates who filed petitions, BOE staff had questions on 31. Of the 31, the board approved eight and rejected 23.
Elections Director James Blazer and Deputy Director Jack Goodman called the candidates whose petitions were denied to let them know the reason why.
“That’s not required, but we did it as a courtesy,” Blazer said.
“All of the candidates put in a lot of work getting signatures; I’m sorry they had to be disappointed.”
Blazer said reasons for rejection ranged from incomplete forms to insufficient signatures to being out of the proper jurisdiction.
“We had two candidate academies during the run-up to filing of petitions,” Blazer said. “We believe they showed success and were beneficial because the people who attended were correct on form.”
Blazer said that although some of the attendees’ petitions had invalid signatures, they did things correctly.
“We were very glad to see that, and the board was very happy. So we will be doing more candidate forums in the future,” he said.
Write-in candidates have until 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 25, to file.
“The board still has to approve and verify those, but it is a much simpler [process],” Assistant Director Jack Goodman said.
Blazer said the BOE has already received a few write-in filings; a final list will be available on Aug. 26 or Aug. 27.
The board also approved 14 issues for the November ballot. Issues include liquor options and one countywide issue.
The last day residents can register to vote is Oct. 6.
BOE board members are Democrats Adam Gilson and Joyce Skocic and Republicans Jeff Gottke and Korey Kidwell.
City of Mount Vernon
•Auditor: Daniel Brinkman
•Treasurer: David M. Stuller
•Council president: Bruce E. Hawkins
•Council at-large: (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than three) Amber Keener, Dale Miller, Mel Severns
•1st Ward council: James Neil Mahan
•2nd Ward council: John P. Ruckman
•3rd Ward council: no candidate filed
•4th Ward council: LeNan Hager
Villages
Brinkhaven Council (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than four)
•Philip H. David Dial
•Ryan James Meyer
•Kerri Meralene Wyant
Centerburg Council (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than four)
•Dave Beck
•Saundra Dove
•Russell Gregory Myers
•Donald Wallace
Danville Council (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than four)
•Patrick L. Crow Jr
Fredericktown
Council (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than four)
•Richard J. Lanuzza
•Sabrina C. Pugh
•Ryan Shoemaker
Council unexpired term to end 12/31/27, no more than two
•Raymond Paul Brewer
•Scott Allen McKnight
Gambier
Council (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than four)
•Alec Wood
Martinsburg
•Mayor (unexpired term to end 12/31/27): No candidate filed
•Council (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than four): No candidate filed
•Council: (unexpired term ending 12/31/27): No candidate filed
Utica
•Council (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than four): No candidate filed
Townships
Berlin trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Matthew Caputo
Brown trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Steven R. Bratton
•Joseph Fritz
Butler trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Douglas G. Beckley
•Nicholas G. Beckley
Clay trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Bruce Conard
•Dennis L. Dugan
Clinton trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Jay Maners
•Terry L. Thompson
College trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•William Nicholson Houston III
Harrison trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Bob Elliott
•John Norris
Hilliar trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Eric Cochran
•Jason Rogers
Howard trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Mark Fritz
•Clarence Griffith
•Kristin Hornsby
•Gregory E. Lawson
•Martha Trese
Jackson trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Devin Claggett
•Scott M. Dugan
•Cody Rager
•Donald St. Clair
•Austin Warner
Jefferson trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Larry M. George
•Steven Kauffman
•Matthew Freedom Lord
•Monica Severns
Liberty trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Marta L. Hill
•Darren Lee
•Douglas Ray Scarberry
•Coty Shellenbarger
Middlebury trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Tyson Armstrong
•Mike Gearheart
•Kim L. Hathaway
Milford trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Chase T. Cochran
•Jeremy Charles Netting
Miller trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Roger A. McConnell
•Lynn G. Rowe
Monroe trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•James Chris Lepley
•John E. Popham
•Douglas Smith
•Wayne T. Zollars
Morgan trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Nicholas Cockrell
•Alan L. Doup
•Joshua Sichina
Morris trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Richard Kershner
•Randall Miller
•Timothy J. Smith
Pike trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Curtis N. Bechtel
•Bill Belton Jr.
Pleasant trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Chad A. Sims
Union trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Darryl E. Frazier
•Tyrel Samples
Wayne trustee (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Matthew Ashcraft
•James D. Everett
•Mark R. Phillips
Wayne trustee (unexpired term ending 12/31/27, no more than one)
•Lewis W. Canter
School boards
Knox County Educational Service Center (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than three)
No candidate filed
Knox County Educational Service Center (unexpired term to end 12/31/27, no more than two)
No candidate filed
Licking County Regional Educational Service Center (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than three)
No candidate filed
Clear Fork (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than three)
No candidate filed
Centerburg (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than three)
•Joshua E. Jackson
•Kris Weldy
Danville (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•David A. Dusthimer
•B.J. Miller
•Paul R. Stover
•Alan Swendal
East Knox (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than three)
•Joshua D. Beltz
•Ronald J. Bostic
•Randy Reese
•Jared D. Stein
•Melissa Tomlinson
Fredericktown (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than three)
•Nathan Bellman
•Donald Falk
•Paul Napier
Loudonville-Perrysville (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than three)
No candidate filed
Mount Vernon (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than two)
•Mary C. Rugola-Dye
•Jeffrey K. Ward
North Fork (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than three)
No candidate filed
Northridge (term commencing 1/1/26, no more than three)
No candidate filed