Board member charged with violation

The director of the Marion County Board of Elections was canvassing polling precincts Nov. 7 when he got the strange call.

An elections board member was seen openly campaigning for a city council candidate, John Meyer was told. And his source had a photograph.

“I couldn’t believe it, so I said, ‘Send me the picture,’” Meyer recalled Friday. The photograph showed Jacqueline Smith “standing behind her personal vehicle holding a campaign sign for a council write-in candidate.”

“I was incredulous,” Meyer said, noting that Election Day is considered an official day-long meeting for the board. “This is like an employee misusing company time.”

Further, he said, taking sides “is one of those cardinal sins you can’t do.”

He immediately drove to the Dayspring Wesleyan Church, 2431 Marion-Mt Gilead Road, and saw Smith outside the precinct location holding the sign for Kate Fisher, who was running for a council seat.

Smith, 75, a Republican, was charged Thursday with a misdemeanor count of improperly influencing an election. According to municipal court records she pleaded not guilty and is requesting a jury trial.

“We were told she was going to resign Dec. 1. But that didn’t happen,” said Phyllis Eshman-Thomas, another board member.

Gary Risch, chairman of the Marion County Republican Party, downplayed the incident on Friday.

“My understanding is that she could resign on her own or the (Ohio) Secretary of State could remove her.

“It was certainly a momentary lapse in good judgment. It had no effect on the election,” Risch said.

Neither Smith, nor her attorney, returned calls for comment Friday.