Board of Elections finds John White not eligible to run for Youngstown mayor
YOUNGSTOWN The Mahoning County Board of Elections has decided if John White is eligible to run as a candidate for Youngstown mayor.
During the board's special meeting on Monday, they had decided that White was not eligible to run in the Youngstown Mayoral Election.
The reason for White's ineligibility, according to the board, was due to him not having lived or voted within Youngstown for a minimum of five years.
White's attorney Ken Myers disputed the meaning of the charter amendment for the city that states you must be an elector and a resident for five years to be eligible to run.
Myers said an elector is someone who has the qualifications to vote as interpreted by the Supreme Court and isn't the same as being registered to vote. Myers said since the city doesn't define what an elector is in the charter, then White has the qualifications that align with the Supreme Court's definition.
The board interpreted the city's charter a different way however, defining an elector as someone who has actively been apart of the elections process by voting. So although White has the qualifications to vote he hasn't voted.
"I think the people in Youngstown want, 'Don't sit around here for 20 years and don't vote and then wanna run for office and vote,'" Board of Elections Chair David Betras said. "You gotta participate in voting and having a vote because you're asking us to overturn an election of the people of the city of Youngstown. You're asking us to ignore what the people in the city of Youngstown have said in this charter amendment and overrule this on constitutional grounds. I think that's a bridge too far for me," he said.
The board took a vote and voted against allowing White to run in the mayoral race. White's attorney, Ken Myers said they will decide by Friday if there will be an appeal.
"I'm disappointed. Obviously the city made its argument as to what the charter says and the issue was thoroughly discussed and at the end of the day the board voted with the city and we disagree," Myers said. "I'll be talking with Mr. White probably this evening or tomorrow morning and deciding what our legal options are. Whatever we do we have to move pretty quickly," he said.
Although White provided the required signatures and successfully submitted his petition, an issue with a mayoral residency requirement stalled his progress.
The City of Youngstown requires that all mayoral candidates to be a resident of the city and to be registered to vote in the city for five years.
On July 8, the Youngstown Law Department determined that White would not be eligible to run until 2026 due to him not registering to vote until 2021.
In November, Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown will face off against Independent candidate Derrick McDowell.
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