The Clintonville Area Commission will decide Thursday night whether to schedule another election for one of its seats.
Candidate Will Klatt won an election for District 3, one of the commission's nine seats, in August. But another candidate, Joel Ronschke, filed a complaint after the election that Klatt campaigned within 100 feet of a polling location, which is too close and violates commission rules.
Ronschke asked that Klatt be disqualified. Area Commission Chair Brittany Boulton said Ronschke has since ended his candidacy but another candidate, Jordan Ticknor, appealed an election committee decision that Klatt did not obstruct or intimidate voters.
In a Sept. 3 letter to Boulton, Ticknor wrote that had she, Ronschke or another candidate, Tom Albanese, "been able to campaign outside of the polling place as Will was allowed to, that may have swung the results of the election."
Klatt said Thursday he apologized for being in the restricted area and left immediately when he was told he was too close to the polling location.
"I think, unfortunately, since 2020 we've created an environment where folks who don't like political outcomes will behave this way," Klatt said.
Boulton said a staff member from the Columbus City Attorney's Office will attend.
The area commission is a volunteer advisory board that reviews neighborhood projects and makes recommendations to Columbus City Council.
