Miami County Board of Elections officials, after rejecting the petitions of 19 candidates for office in November, said Friday they will add to the kind of information that goes to prospective candidates.
Candidates whose petitions have been invalidated can challenge the decision to the board. Among the petitions invalidated were those of some incumbents.
The petitions of two people who filed for Tipp City Council were on the list for invalidation before the board learned from another candidate, council President Joe Gibson, that the number of signatures the board was told was needed was incorrect.
The board was told 50 valid signatures were needed. According to the city charter, 25 signatures are required.
With that information, the board validated the petitions of candidates Ryan August and Katelyn Berbach, an incumbent.
As well, the board also certified petitions for 84 other candidates for office, including city and/or village councils, township trustees and school board.
The board two years ago rejected what was believed to be a record number of petitions -- more than 30 -- for reasons such as the candidate not signing the circulator statement, leaving the nominating statement incomplete and not having enough valid signatures of registered voters.
After the petitions were rejected in 2015, the board agreed to provide candidates a checklist for petitions.
"I think that after review of these petitions, it is evident that we need to hand candidates all of the information so at least I know in good conscience that they had it in their hands. Then, if they did not follow it, that is on them," board member Audrey Gillespie said.
Board of Elections Director Bev Kendall said Friday that list in the future will be given to those obtaining candidate petitions instead of when they come to the election office to file their petitions.
"Packets that will be handed out when people come out in the future, the checklist will be in the packet," Kendall said.
Luke Scott, deputy elections director, said the packet would include more information on topics such as campaign finance and ethics filings.
