By Ryan Applegate
People’s Defender
The Ohio Supreme Court has ordered the Adams County Board of Elections to hold a hearing regarding a challenge to the voter registration of Adams County Prosecuting Attorney Aaron Haslam, according to a decision issued April 10.
In a unanimous ruling in State ex rel. Hicks v. Adams County Board of Elections, the court granted a writ of mandamus sought by Christopher Hicks, finding that the board acted improperly when it denied his challenge without first conducting a hearing as required by Ohio law.
The case centers on Hicks’s claim that Haslam is not a bona fide resident of Adams County and therefore may not be properly registered to vote in the county. Under Ohio law, residency is a requirement both for voter registration and for holding certain public offices, including county prosecutor.
Hicks, a qualified elector from Clermont County, filed a challenge in October 2025 asking the board to review Haslam’s voter registration and hold a hearing on the matter. The board denied that challenge during a brief meeting, relying solely on its internal records and without taking testimony or considering additional evidence presented by Hicks.
The Ohio Supreme Court found that approach did not comply with Ohio Revised Code 3503.24(B), which governs voter registration challenges. The statute requires a board of elections to hold a hearing when it cannot resolve a challenge based only on its records.
In its opinion, the court stated that the board’s records established only that Haslam had listed a West Union address for voting purposes, but did not address the substance of Hicks’s allegations regarding where Haslam actually resides.
The court noted that Hicks had submitted various claims and supporting materials suggesting that Haslam’s primary residence may be in Hamilton County, where his family lives and where his wife is registered to vote. Those claims, the court wrote, raised factual questions that could not be resolved without a hearing.
“The board abused its discretion and acted in clear disregard” of the law by denying the challenge without holding a hearing, the court concluded.
As a result, the court ordered the Adams County Board of Elections to conduct a hearing on Hicks’s challenge within ten days of the ruling. The hearing has now been scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, and is open to the public. It will take place in the conference room of the Adams County Government Building.
The hearing is expected to include sworn testimony and allow both sides to present evidence related to Haslam’s residency.
The court emphasized that it did not rule on whether Haslam is properly registered to vote in Adams County. Instead, the decision focuses on the process, requiring that the issue be examined through a formal hearing before the board.
The ruling also addressed several legal arguments raised by the board. The court rejected the board’s claim that Hicks’s challenge was barred by prior litigation, finding that the new filing constituted a separate action and that the underlying residency issue had never been fully considered on its merits.
Additionally, the court determined that Hicks had standing to bring the challenge under Ohio law, which allows any qualified elector in the state to contest another voter’s registration.
The board had also requested sanctions against Hicks, arguing that his filings were improper. The court declined to impose sanctions, noting that his claim had merit despite the contentious nature of the dispute.
The decision now returns the matter to the local level, where the Adams County Board of Elections will conduct the hearing and make a determination based on evidence and testimony.
Leave a Reply