Ohio's elections chief has moved to invalidate ballot proposals in three counties related to the oil- and gas-drilling technique of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
Secretary of State Jon Husted ruled Thursday on protests filed with his office that questioned the validity of county charter ballot proposals in Athens, Fulton and Medina counties.
Husted upheld the protests invalidating the proposals and said they wouldn't appear on Nov. 3 ballots. He says in a statement that each proposal attempts to circumvent state law in a way that the courts have ruled violates the Ohio Constitution.
Husted says allowing the proposals to proceed would waste taxpayers' time and money.
Under state law, Husted determines the validity of proposals and petitions and determines whether the petition should qualify for the ballot.
