With early voting already underway and the May 5 primary fast approaching, Delaware County Board of Elections member Melanie Leneghan is locked in a high-stakes fight to stay on the ballot. The Republican official has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to overturn a county decision that canceled her voter registration and removed her from the primary, arguing she is a legal resident of Delaware County and should remain in the race.
Board cancels registration in split vote
After an eight‑hour hearing, the county elections board voted 2‑1 on April 10 to cancel Leneghan’s registration and keep her off the May primary ballot. Democrats Ed Helvey and Peg Watkins voted to remove her, while Republican Steve Cuckler dissented. Leneghan recused herself from the vote and said she would challenge the ruling. The move followed a formal residency protest filed by fellow Republican Velva Dunn, according to KnoxPages.
Supreme Court had already ordered a hearing
The clash landed in the Ohio Supreme Court even before the local board acted. In late March, the justices granted a writ of mandamus ordering Delaware County officials to hold a residency hearing and to “proceed forthwith,” putting the dispute on an expedited track and positioning the high court as the likely decider of any final remedy. The court’s per curiam opinion and docket are detailed in the official record, as reported by Leagle.
Leneghan asks justices for a fast ruling
On April 14, Leneghan filed her appeal with the Ohio Supreme Court, asking the justices to restore her ballot status on an expedited basis because early voting had already begun. In her filing, she argues the board “abused their discretion and clearly disregarded applicable law” by treating residence as the permanence of physical occupancy instead of applying statutory standards that turn on “fixed habitation, temporary absence and intent to return,” her lawyers wrote. The appeal seeks emergency relief that could be decided before the May 5 primary, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Property records and testimony
Public records and prior reporting show Leneghan sold a Powell home in January 2025 and was later added as co‑owner of a Galena house in a transfer recorded March 12 for zero dollars, a detail challengers seized on during testimony. The Galena property carries an assessed value of about $272,800 in county records, and opponents argue the timing of the deeds and moves undercuts her claim of Delaware County residency. Those records and accounts are summarized in local coverage and public‑records reporting, including NationalToday.
What happens next
The primary is set for May 5, with early voting that began April 7, so any expedited decision from the Supreme Court would have to come quickly to affect printed ballots and the experience of early voters. County elections officials say they will follow whatever guidance the court provides, and the Secretary of State’s office has indicated it will wait for the ruling before changing anyone’s status on the county board. Those timing issues and statements are reflected in the county’s schedule and public information from the Delaware County Board of Elections.
Legal implications
At the heart of the dispute is how Ohio’s residency statutes apply to elections officials, including whether property ownership or intermittent occupancy is enough to establish a voting residence. The Supreme Court’s earlier order invoked the “rule of necessity,” and the justices’ eventual decision could guide how local boards weigh a voter’s intent to return against their physical presence. The outcome will decide both the local Republican committee contest and whether a sitting board of elections member can continue to serve, as set out in the court record and reporting by Leagle.
