Democrats push to replace director of Licking County Board of Elections
NEWARK − The two Democrats on the four-member Licking County Board of Elections pushed at its March 6 meeting to replace Board of Elections Director Luke Burton, also a Democrat.
The vote to replace Burton with Alex Rolletta, a former Newark city councilman, ended in a 2-2 tie, with the two Republicans opposing Rolletta on all five votes during the biennial organizational meeting. The tie vote will be resolved by Ohio Secretary of State Frank Larose.
Burton, who said he learned that morning of the effort to remove him at the 11:45 a.m. meeting, remained on the job at the board office, pending further advice from the state.
“It’s a shock and I don’t plan on going quietly,” Burton said following the vote. “I believe this to be politically motivated. I can’t think of, nor has it been discussed with me, anything in my conduct or daily job duties that I should be removed, or not be reappointed. This comes as a surprise to me as there’s been no communication from the Democratic members.”
Burton, who lives in Newark, has worked as either the BOE director or deputy director for more than four years, sharing leadership duties with Brian Mead, a Republican. Prior to coming to Licking County, Burton worked at the Darke County BOE more than three years, almost two years as its director.
The board voted 4-0 to move Mead from deputy director into the director position. Freddie Latella, a Democrat, was named chairman of the board. The other board members are Kaye Hartman, a Democrat, and Republicans David Rhodes and Park Shai.
Latella did not immediately give any specific reason for seeking the change.
“Luke is a great guy,” Latella said. “I have no qualms with Luke. It’s just time to move on. It’s just overall time for us to go in a different direction. We thought this was the time to do it.”
When asked about the lack of communication Burton had mentioned, Latella
said, “A lot of times I’d reach out to Brian because Luke was not available. I don’t think Luke had a lot of communication with anybody on the Democratic side. A lot of candidates said there was a lack of communication with Democratic elected officials.”
Rolletta, a Newark city councilman from 2014-17, works in sales at Big Sandy Superstore. He worked as membership coordinator at Dawes Arboretum in 2017-19. He received his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University in 2015 and earned his master’s from Ohio University in 2021.
Hartman, also a former Newark city councilman and new to the elections board, said, “It’s nothing personal. It’s just business. I have no animosity for Luke.
“I’m just anxious to bring a new face to the board and a new generation. He’s got his finger on the pulse of young voters in Licking County.”
Burton was 26 years old when he joined the Licking County Board of Elections in January 2019. Rolletta resigned from council in 2017, when he was 26 years old.
Rhodes and Shai, new to the board, supported keeping Burton as director or deputy director. Rhodes said he’s never seen Rolletta at a BOE meeting.
“I think he’s done a good job,” Rhodes said of Burton. “In a couple jams, Luke and Brian worked well together. I voted, not against Alex Rolletta, but the guy sitting to the left of me doesn’t have a partisan bone in his body and he’s bailed us out in a couple elections. I think we have a real quality guy here and want to trade down on experience.”
Latella and Hartman said Larose is obligated to appoint Rolletta because Rolletta is of the same political party as the board members making the nomination.
“If you look at the law, it’s very clear,” Hartman said. “The secretary of state is asking what is your choice and that’s our choice. That’s how the process is supposed to work.”
Mead, however, said he hopes there is a way to keep Burton.
“We do work well together,” Mead said. “This was unexpected. We’re in uncharted waters. He’s a valuable partner. I’ll be very disappointed if he doesn’t continue as my partner.”
Mead said Burton is an expert in programming elections equipment and his replacement would have a tall learning curve. Burton became a poll worker at age 17.
A December 2022 directive from Larose includes the following language if a local board fails to select a director or deputy director: “If the secretary of state has reason to believe that no person nominated is qualified, the secretary will state that determination in writing to the board. The board must then nominate other persons in the same manner as the original persons were nominated.”
A representative from the secretary of state’s office asked at the meeting if Rolletta had any experience working at a board of elections office or as a poll worker. The Democrats said he had no such experience.
In other actions, the board:
● Deadlocked 2-2 on Hartman’s proposal to put a polling location back in Buckeye Lake, the largest village in Licking County without any polling location. Village residents must travel to Hebron to cast their in-person votes. Three BOE votes were needed to approve the change.mead said adding the polling location would be costly and it’s only 2.9 miles to Hebron, but Hartman said it’s needed.”for elderly and lowincome residents, even though it’s a short distance, it’s not walking distance,” Hartman said. “It makes a hardship on some of our residents to get up there and vote.”the board did vote 4-0 to review all polling locations.
● Voted 3-1 to reject the write-in candidacy of Democrat Daniel Crawford for mayor of Newark. There are not enough candidates to have anyone appear on the primary election ballot. Incumbent Jeff Hall is the lone Newark mayoral candidate, so Crawford needed to file candidate petitions before the primary filing deadline to appear on the ballot, Mead said.
● Voted 4-0 to allow Delaware County voters who live in the Johnstownmonroe and Northridge school districts to cast their primary election ballots in Johnstown. Delaware County does not have a primary election, so there would be no polls open for them to vote. kmallett@newarkadvocate.com 740-973-4539
Twitter: @kmallett1958