Source: Alan Copson / Getty
(WOIO) –
The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections has completed its review of petition signatures submitted by East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton on Wednesday. The board has verified that the petitioners have reached or exceeded the minimum required number of 559 valid signatures. Of the 1,613 signatures submitted, 827 (51 percent) were certified as valid.
According to Pat McDonald, director of the Cuyahoga County BOE, Ohio law presented a unique challenge to the petitioners in gathering valid signatures.
“Not only did they have to gather signatures of registered voters, but those voters also had to have cast a ballot in the November 2013 General Election,” McDonald explained.
Elected officials of Cleveland and East Cleveland are now responsible for moving the annexation process forward.
“There are many steps still remaining in this process for both cities. The earliest that this issue could be on the ballot would be the March 2016 Presidential Primary Election,” said McDonald.
READ MORE: 19ActionNews.com
Article Courtesy of WOIO 19 Action News Cleveland
Poll Courtesy of 93.1 WZAK-FM Cleveland
Picture Courtesy of Getty Images
