Fired Elections Officials Replaced

Former Demcractic Dayton mayor Rhine McLin and Democratic attorney John Doll have been nominated to replace two Montgomery County Board of Elections officials fired in a dispute over extended voting hours.

They replace Dennis Lieberman and Thomas Ritchie, who were fired for ignoring Republican Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted's order not to hold early voting on weekends. A Husted spokesperson says Lieberman and Ritchie were fired for breaking election law. The two have filed a lawsuit against Husted, charging wrongful termination. Meanwhile a federal judge has canceled this week's hearing ordering Husted to explain how his prohibition against counties setting voting hours on disputed early-voting days did not violate the court's ruling in a lawsuit. The judge last month granted the Obama's campaign's request to give all Ohio voters the option of casting ballots in person during the three days before Election Day. Husted then prohibited counties from setting hours on those days while the state appealed.