Kerschner named to commission

TIFFIN — Local attorney Karl C. Kerschner has been appointed by Ohio Senate President Rob McColley to a four-year term on the newly established Ohio Election Integrity Commission. Kerschner, who has been serving on the Ohio Elections Commission since 2024, said recent changes to Ohio law require the abolishment of the OEC and the creation of the integrity commission, effective Jan. 1, 2026. In essence, he said, the state legislature felt the OEC "was inefficient, overly cumbersome and needed to be reformed." The new commission consists of five members, reduced from the seven-seat OEC, with a chairperson appointed by the secretary of state and one member each appointed by the speaker of the House, House minority leader, Senate president and Senate majority leader. To address a significant critique of the OEC, the new law requires a majority of the OEIC members to be licensed attorneys. According to the statute, "at least three members of the commission shall be attorneys in good standing before the Supreme Court of Ohio." Members of the OEIC must have at least four years of work experience in elections administration or be a lawyer, Kerschner said. The OEIC is under the office of the secretary of state, according to Ohio Revised Code, and is tasked with stronger enforcement of election-related laws. The commission will address complaints alleging violations of election laws within its jurisdiction, including campaign finance and certain prohibited election practices. "The OEC has been around since the 1970s and I've enjoyed the opportunity to serve over the last year or so. I agree with the legislature's decision to reform the commission and, as the only full commission member of the OEC licensed to practice law, it was an honor to be appointed," Kerschner said. In addition to serving on the new commission, Kerschner currently serves as chief legal officer and a board member for Roppe Corp. and serves on the board of directors for Reineke Family Dealerships. He previously was managing partner of the Meyer & Kerschner, Ltd. law firm, which he sold some time ago. Kerschner lives in Tiffin with his wife and two children.