Hartmann: Investigate Cuyahoga

Republican Greg Hartmann, the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts, faces Democrat Jennifer Brunner for Secretary of State this fall.

Both were unopposed in the primary this week; for the record, Brunner got 580,999 votes to Hartmann's 433,662, according to the Secretary of State's office.

Hartmann issued this press release today:

For Immediate Release
Contact: Mark Weaver
614-462-8371

Secretary of State Candidate Greg Hartmann Applauds Secretary of State Investigation of Cuyahoga County
Board of Elections
Says voting errors in Cuyahoga County are unacceptable.

COLUMBUS-May 5, 2006- Greg Hartmann, candidate for Secretary of State, today applauded the investigation of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and called on the Secretary of State to extend that investigation to all election operations in that county.
"I commend Secretary Blackwell for taking swift action on this matter, but there’s more to be done. The voting problems in Cuyahoga County are unacceptable in today's modern voting environment. Citizens in Ohio's largest county deserve to know why their election system isn't working." Hartmann said.

"The mishaps and blunders in the Primary Election in this county are completely unacceptable. As Ohio's Chief Elections Officer I’ll protect and preserve the integrity of Ohio's elections system to ensure that every eligible voter is encouraged and permitted to vote."

Noting that the voter turnout in Cuyahoga County was only 19%, Hartmann questioned whether Cuyahoga County will be able to handle the increased turnout in the fall, "In November when two or three times that amount of citizens will vote, Cuyahoga County's Board of Elections must be capable of handling a significant increase in turnout. Only through a strict and thorough investigation by the Secretary of State’s office can we be assured a fair election," Hartmann concluded.

Greg Hartmann represents the next generation of leadership in Ohio. As the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts, Greg has earned a national reputation for modernizing the office and making it more accountable to taxpayers. During the last two fiscal years, Greg has returned nearly $2 million to taxpayers, and he's been a leader in protecting Ohioans from identity theft.

Greg's professional career includes private sector experience managing West Coast operations for Airline Distribution Services, Inc. Greg served as an Assistant Prosecutor in Hamilton County, where he prosecuted thousands of criminal cases including many involving violent felonies.

Hartmann and his wife Tracy are raising their four children in Cincinnati.


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