YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Board of Elections reversed its decision and put Cheryl Findley on the Nov. 8 ballot as an independent candidate for Youngstown council’s 6th Ward seat.

But the board didn’t change its position on Linsey Bonnette, who sought to run for council’s 5th Ward spot.

The board voted 3-0 Tuesday to certify Findley of West Judson Avenue to the ballot to face incumbent Councilwoman Anita Davis, a Democrat, in the November election.

The board voted 4-0 on June 6 to not certify Findley because of the 55 signatures she submitted on nominating petitions, it ruled only 24 were valid. She needed 25 to qualify.

Findley provided the board with notarized affidavits from four people who swore they signed her petitions.

The board accepted three of them. Those three had printed their names, which the board routinely rules as invalid unless that is how they signed their names on voter registration forms or other election documents. The three printed their names on the affidavits.

The fourth signer, Irma I. Rodriguez of Idlewood Avenue, who just used the letter R when signing her last name on the petition, was not allowed.

But with the three valid printed names, Findley had 27 valid signatures and was put on the ballot.

After the vote, Findley said, “I want to thank the board for reconsidering and certifying me.”

The board chose Tuesday to uphold its initial June 6 decision to not permit Bonnette of Austin Avenue on the ballot.

Bonnette failed to identify what ward seat she was seeking on her petitions.

Board Director Tom McCabe said he and board Vice Chairman Sandra Barger contacted the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office between the two meetings and were told “we made the right decision. A candidate must put the actual office they are running for” on petitions.

Bonnette said she looked over the candidate packet provided by the board and didn’t find anywhere where it states the specific ward — the 5th in her case — is required on petitions. Barger read a provision that stated declarations of candidacy and nominating petitions “must identify the office sought.”

“I’m not aware of how I was supposed to know that given that I’m new to the Youngstown area,” Bonnette said. “I’m not really as familiar with the government. I would like to become so. I feel people should get to have the option to vote for me.”

Board member Joyce Kale-Pesta, a former board director, said Bonnette should have known “you were running for 5th Ward council.”

Also, Kale-Pesta said when Bonnette was preparing her petitions she could have called the board office and would have received the correct information about having to put the ward on the documents. Bonnette said she called and was told board employees weren’t allowed to advise on petitions. McCabe said board employees can’t give advice once petitions are submitted but can help beforehand.

“I was not under that impression based off them saying they weren’t allowed to comment,” Bonnette said.

Both Barger and Kale-Pesta said board employees could do it before, but not after, petitions were submitted to the board office.

Without Bonnette on the ballot, voters in the 5th Ward will choose Nov. 8 between incumbent Democrat Pat Kelly, who was appointed to the position in January, and Richard Yaslik, an independent.

dskolnick@vindy.com