A Delaware County Board of Elections member is appealing a decision removing her as a registered voter as well as a candidate for the May primary election.
Melanie Leneghan filed the appeal with the Ohio Supreme Court on April 14. Leneghan is asking for the court to rule on her appeal in a quicker than usual cycle given the upcoming election and since early voting started April 7.
Leneghan is already listed on the ballot as the candidate for the women’s seat on the Republican State Central Committee for the 19th District, which covers Delaware, Knox, Holmes and Coshocton counties. But the Delaware County Board of Elections voted last week to invalidate her candidacy.
During an April 10 hearing ordered by the Ohio Supreme Court, the board voted 2-1 along party lines to remove Leneghan from the voter rolls. The decision found Leneghan is not a legal resident of Delaware County, making her ineligible to run in the May primary for a Republican State Central Committee seat or to vote in elections.
The election board’s two Democrats, Ed Helvey and Peg Watkins, voted to cancel Leneghan’s voter registration and candidacy while Republican Steve Cuckler, voted against both actions. Leneghan had to recuse herself.
Leneghan’s appeal contends the decision is not based on Ohio law, which does not outline clear residency requirements for candidates. The filing cites a section of Ohio’s Revised Code that says a registered voter can “continually reside outside of the state” and keep their legal voting status in Ohio as long as the absence is less than four years.
Leneghan’s attorneys argue the county elections board “abused their discretion and clearly disregarded applicable law by treating residence as dependent on permanence of physical occupancy or majority-time presence rather than the statutory standards of fixed habitation, temporary absence and intent to return.”
The board’s decision puts Leneghan at a disadvantage because early voting for the May 5 primary is already underway, the appeal says.
According to the filing, 20% of Delaware County voters in the 2024 election voted before Election Day.
“The Board’s unlawful disenfranchisement of (Leneghan) and ballot-removal does nothing but cast confusion on the voters in Delaware County and undercut (Leneghan’s) ability to be judged fairly by those voters,” the filing says.
Leneghan’s residency had been challenged by Velva Dunn, a Delaware County Republican Party Central Committee member, who said Leneghan lives in South Carolina. Leneghan previously told The Dispatch she owns two homes in that state where her daughter is in college and Leneghan travels for her job. Leneghan said she lives in Ohio and mostly works in this state.
Publicly available records show Leneghan sold her Powell home in January 2025 and then updated her voter registration address to a home within the city of Delaware and her mailing address to a Galena home. Leneghan later updated her voting address to the Galena home, which is owned by a woman Leneghan describes as her best friend.
On March 12, that Galena home was transferred to be jointly owned by the previous owner and Leneghan, according to auditor records. The transfer was for zero dollars despite the auditor’s website showing the property is estimated to be worth $272,800.
The Ohio Secretary of State’s office told The Dispatch on April 11 that it is waiting for the outcome of the Ohio Supreme Court case before making a decision on Leneghan’s status as a member of the Delaware County Board of Elections.
This is the second appeal related to Leneghan’s residency filed with the Ohio Supreme Court. Dunn asked the state Supreme Court to force the elections board to hold a hearing and vote after a March 5 hearing where three of the four elections board members, including Leneghan, recused themselves and the board did not have a quorum.
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled the Board of Elections was required to hold the hearing, which was held April 10.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.
Delaware County and eastern Columbus suburbs reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at mdevito@dispatch.com and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Delaware County elections board member appeals removal from May primary
Reporting by Bethany Bruner and Maria DeVito, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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