MANSFIELD — The Richland County Board of Elections on Thursday unanimously rejected a challenge regarding the voter registry of Mansfield Law Director John Spon.
The challenge was filed Aug. 11 with the elections board by Cynthia Bias, 1387 Wilging Drive, claiming Spon lives in a house in Lexington, but is registered to vote from an apartment in Mansfield.
According to Board of Elections Director Paulette Hankins, the board heard testimony from 10 witnesses over about two hours and then went into executive session with legal counsel for about eight minutes.
After returning to public session, board member Joe Mudra made a motion to reject the challenge. The motion was seconded by board member Karen Browning and unanimously approved by the bipartisan board, including Bill Freytag and Lydia Reid, Hankins said.
Spon, who denied the allegation when it was filed, said he was pleased with the board’s speedy resolution to the issue.
“I am grateful for the integrity of each member of the board of elections,” Spon said. “They made their decision based upon the indisputable and incontrovertible facts that I have a been a resident of the City of Mansfield from 2010 through today.
“I look forward to continuing to serve the the citizens of Mansfield.”
Spon was re-elected in November 2019 to a third and final four-year term as the city’s top legal advisor.
Bias, in her failed challenge, said Spon’s voting records state he lives at 1568 Lexington Ave., Apt. 4-A, in Mansfield and has voted in Ward 1-A for over eight years.
She claimed Spon actually resides at 480 Cedarwood Drive in Lexington with his wife, Dusty Ann Spon, who votes in Lexington Precinct C.
Spon told Richland Source at the time the allegation is not new and was investigated in 2015 by local attorney Eric Miller, when the law director was seeking a second term in office.
