A dispute at the Delaware County Board of Elections has prompted a state lawmaker to propose changes to how county election boards work.

But the bill could boot several state party leaders from their roles as county election officials, including Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou.

House Bill 752, introduced by Rep. Brian Lorenz, R-Powell, would prohibit members of a state political party’s governing body from serving as a county board of elections member or employee. It would also create a mechanism to appoint alternative board members in case of conflicts of interest.

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Lorenz wants to solve problems like the one that recently popped up at the Delaware County Board of Elections.

Knox County resident Rebecca Nourse is challenging Delaware County Board of Elections member Melanie Leneghan for the woman’s seat on the Ohio Republican Party’s state central committee. This 66-member governing body issues statewide endorsements and makes other decisions about the party’s future.

Nourse made a mistake on her paperwork, which led to her being removed from the May ballot. During a hearing reconsidering that decision, Leneghan voted against Nourse. The district covers Delaware, Knox, Holmes and Coshocton counties.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose got involved, and after a revote, Nourse was ultimately allowed back on the primary ballot.

“This legislation provides a practical solution when potential conflicts arise while ensuring decisions made by our boards of elections remain fair and equitable,” Lorenz said in a statement. “It is a commonsense reform that benefits both Republicans and Democrats across Ohio.”

The Ohio Association of Election Officials is still reviewing the bill, but some members pointed out that Ohio already has policies that address conflicts of interest. “So, the ban (on state central committee members at election boards) seems pretty superfluous to most people that I’ve spoken to,” Executive Director Aaron Ockerman said.

Ohio has a bipartisan system of elections with two Democrats and two Republicans serving on each county board of elections. In Hamilton County, for example, Triantafilou serves as one of those Republican members,

“We do want people who understand politics and political considerations to be in these positions,” Ockerman said. “The fact that you have an equal number of both yields, generally speaking, nonpartisan results. But it’s made by partisan people who have an understanding of the election system.”

The bill, introduced on March 10, is in the early stages of the legislative process. It would need approval from the Ohio House of Representatives, Ohio Senate and Gov. Mike DeWine to become law.

State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@usatodayco.com or @jbalmert on X.