Recount Set After Narrow School Board Results Impact Holmes County

Ashland County election officials certified the Nov. 4 general election results on Nov. 18 and identified several extremely close contests that met the margin thresholds requiring automatic recounts under state law. While most races and levies across the county were finalized, two candidate contests and one levy question triggered the recount provision. The development matters to Holmes County because a portion of the Loudonville Perrysville district overlaps here and Holmes ballots were included in the certified totals.

One of the tightest contests was the Loudonville Perrysville school board race, which is a multi county contest. Officials combined county by county vote totals from Ashland, Richland, Holmes and Knox counties to produce the district wide result. When those totals were tabulated the margin between two candidates fell within the recount trigger threshold, prompting the local board of elections to pencil in a recount meeting for Nov. 24. That meeting will begin the formal process of re examining ballots and certifying any adjusted totals.

The recount process was outlined in the certification report as the next step when statutory margins are met. A recount typically involves review of machine tallies and ballots, examination of provisional and absentee ballots where applicable, and public meetings of the board of elections to record any changes. The timeline can vary with the number of ballots to review and whether candidates or stakeholders pursue further legal action. Final certification of any changed results follows the recount and the completion of related processes.

For Holmes County residents living in the section of the district that overlaps the county, the recount could determine who represents their interests on the school board and could affect decisions on district policy, budgets, and local levy matters. The certification noted that one levy question elsewhere also met the threshold for an automatic recount, underscoring how narrow margins in local elections can have direct budgetary and governance implications for communities.

Local election officials have emphasized the statutory nature of the recount triggers and the procedural steps that follow certification. Voters in the affected areas should expect updates from the county boards as the recount proceeds and final results are posted. Given the multi county nature of the district, the outcome will depend on the combined re tabulation across Ashland, Richland, Holmes and Knox counties and will be certified once the recount is complete.