November 5 ballot starting to shape up

VW independent staff

The deadline is fast approaching to file paperwork for local issues to on the November 5 ballot. Paperwork must be filed with the Van Wert County Board of Elections Office by 4 p.m. Wednesday, August 7.

According to Director Pam Henderson, various renewal issues will be on the fall ballot, along with an electric aggregation issue in Tully Township and a possible statewide issue. A full list of the ballot issues will be published late next week.

Local races will be scant. Incumbent State Representative Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland) is seeking a second term in office and his opponent will be a familiar one – Democrat Magdalene Markward (D-Van Wert). The two ran in the 2022 general election and Klopfenstein collected nearly 80 percent of the votes.

Incumbent Republican Van Wert County Commissioner Todd Wolfrum is running unopposed. There will be no city or village council, school board or township trustee races on the November ballot. Even so, the U.S. Presidential race between Republican Donald Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Kamela Harris is expected to draw a strong turnout.