Residents and community groups urge Mahoning County commissioners not to move Board of Elections out of Youngstown

At the Mahoning County Board of Commissioners meeting on June 12, residents and leaders from local advocacy groups pressed commissioners to keep the Board of Elections in the city of Youngstown, warning that a relocation would create access barriers for seniors and residents without reliable transportation.

The demand came during the public-comment portion of the meeting, when O'Bella Blackman, born and raised on Youngstown's South Side, asked why local residents are treated as relevant only at election time and urged officials to be “fair” and transparent. Cecil Monroe asked commissioners to publish the short list of sites considered for a move and 16 years of maintenance reports for the current building to show whether the county allowed the structure to fall into disrepair.

Representative Simon, chairman of the Greater Youngstown Community Mobilization Coalition, said the coalition and 25 affiliated minority organizations formally requested public hearings and asked the commissioners to consider recommendations the group submitted for in-city sites. Monica Hoskins Van, representing the Community Mobilization Coalition and the Youngstown chapter of Links Incorporated, said relocating the Board of Elections outside city limits would “create access barriers for many residents, particularly our seniors and those without reliable transportation,” and urged commissioners to keep services and tax dollars in Youngstown.

Commissioners responded later in the meeting, saying that no final decision has been made. One county commissioner told the room that earlier drawings for potential space—including conceptual layouts that labeled areas at the Patriot Building—were informal “napkin” drafts and not final plans. The commissioner said they understood community concern, pledged to “do the best thing for everyone,” and stated a personal commitment to keeping county agencies in the county seat while acknowledging facility repairs and parking needs at some in-city sites.

Speakers asked for concrete steps: publication of the list of candidate locations, release of any architectural drawings that show proposed election-office space, and disclosure of maintenance and inspection records for the current Board of Elections facility. Commissioners did not announce a timeline for a decision and did not move or vote on relocation at the meeting.

The public-comment exchange and commissioners’ remarks underscore the community’s concern that service moves could affect turnout and civic access; no formal action or vote to relocate the Board of Elections occurred during the meeting.