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0000017a-3b40-d913-abfe-bf44a4f90000Howard Wilkinson joined the WVXU news team as the politics reporter and columnist in April 2012 , after 30 years of covering local, state and national politics for The Cincinnati Enquirer. On this page, you will find his weekly column, Politically Speaking; the Monday morning political chats with News Director Maryanne Zeleznik and other news coverage by Wilkinson. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Wilkinson has covered every Ohio gubernatorial race since 1974, as well as 16 presidential nominating conventions. Along with politics, Wilkinson also covered the 2001 Cincinnati race riots, the Lucasville prison riot in 1993, the Air Canada plane crash at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 1983, and the 1997 Ohio River flooding. And, given his passion for baseball, you might even find some stories about the Cincinnati Reds here from time to time.

Early voting begins Tuesday for Aug. 5 election, but a slim ballot

Tuesday is the first day of early voting in Ohio's August 5 election, although few voters in southwest Ohio will have anything to vote on.

Hamilton County has only two issues on the ballot - an additional 11.2 mill tax levy in the Lockland Local School District and the renewal of a five mill tax levy for fire and emergency medical services in Mount Healthy.

In Warren County, voters in the Lebanon City School District will decide a tax levy renewal that will raise $4.2 million a year for the next three years.

Butler and Clermont counties won't be holding an election. They have no issues on the ballot.

You can download absentee voter applications at your board of elections web site or at MyOhioVote.org.

In person early voting at the Hamilton County and Warren County boards of elections is available during the following hours:

  • Weekend beginning Tuesday through Aug. 1, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, Aug. 2, 8 a.m. to noon.
  • Sunday, Aug. 3, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Monday, Aug. 4, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Howard Wilkinson is in his 50th year of covering politics on the local, state and national levels.