Erie County's 'champion of fair' elections bowing out

PERKINS TWP. — A longtime Erie County elections official, who successfully fought to preserve and expand rights for local voters, announced he's leaving his post for personal reasons.During a recent public meeting, Republican Chris Marinko opted against securing an additional term.His departure takes effect on March 1.Marinko pointed to introducing the Help America Vote Act in Erie County as his proudest accomplishment during a 20-year reign in this position.Following the 2000 presidential election, in which George W. Bush defeated Al Gore, the race's many logistical issues with polling caused Congress to approve this bipartisan measure.Among its primary goals: replacing outdated voting machines, reforming registration processes, increasing educational efforts and providing better polling access to the disabled — procedures Marinko personally endorsed and oversaw when implemented in Erie County."I'm grateful for the opportunity to safeguard those rights and assure that every vote really does count," Marinko said. "We've had many elections through the years where it came down to a few votes or less and even some ties."Marinko, a lawyer by trade, also touted a perfect record for lawsuits filed against the organization.The most notable case involved one taken up by former county common pleas court Judge Ann Maschari.After Maschari lost her 2004 Democratic primary race against challenger Tygh Tone, she pursued litigation against the board.Before the race, board members allowed registered Republicans to cross over and vote in the Democratic primary without poll workers questioning their actions. Many Republicans ended up voting in the primary, culminating in Tone's victory.Maschari blamed elections board members for her loss and sued them. The board, however, won subsequent state and federal court decisions.Marinko provided free legal guidance and helped his fellow colleagues navigate through a difficult process.The board, in fact, never lost a lawsuit throughout Marinko's tenure.More recently, Marinko voted against a board policy, which would have limited public discussion by community members on local elections matters. The proposed legislation, seemingly restricting First Amendment rights, ultimately failed."For the better part of 20 years, Chris Marinko served all the voters of Erie County as a champion of fair and efficient elections," Erie County Republican Party chairman CJ Kamm said. "In his role as a board member, he was steadfast in supporting the rule of law and against inserting partisan politics in the Erie County election process."Kamm continued: "From his role in securing optical scanners with a paper trail to protecting the integrity of our elections, to his never-failing protection of our talented elections staff from partisan bullies, Chris never failed to rise to the challenges of the job. He will be missed, but we wish him well in his future endeavors."The county elections board oversees voting contests and polling-related rules.It consists of two Republicans and two Democrats. Local Republican Nic Smith stands to replace Marinko. He'll join fellow party mate DJ Swearingen along with Democrats Amy Grubbe and Kevin Zeiher.No matter Republican or Democrat, Marinko gained the respect from many of his colleagues."He's done a great job for the Erie County Board of Elections, and I'm sad to see him leave," Zeiher said. "I don't care what his politics are. His heart was in the right place. He thought about the board first and not whether it was a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. That made a difference. I will miss him."Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.Longtime Erie County elections board member Chris Marinko, a Republican, announced he's not seeking an additional term in the volunteer position.