GALLIPOLIS — Tax issues dealing with fire protection will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot in five townships, four of them proposed replacements to existing levies.

Those issues, a pair of local option questions on liquor sales in Huntington Precinct and a proposed ordinance looking to benefit electric and natural gas customers in Gallipolis have been approved for placement on the ballot by the Gallia County Local Board of Elections.

Voters in Clay Township and Clay Precinct will decide on the passage of a replacement levy of 1.3 mills for fire protection. Greenfield and Harrison townships are each seeking approval of a 1-mill replacement levy.

Perry Township is looking for passage of a five-tenths of a mill replacement levy. Green Township is seeking renewal of its 1-mill levy.

All of the levies are for five years.

Voters in Huntington Precinct, which covers the village of Vinton, are asked to vote for or against a local option allowing the Par Mar Oil Co. (Citgo) station on Ohio 160 to sell beer, wine and mixed beverages as an applicant for C-1, C-2, D-1 and D-2 liquor permits from the state.

Another question for those voters is to allow Sunday sales of those beverages.

Additionally, voters in Gallipolis’s five precincts will decide if the city should have the authority to aggregate retail electric and natural gas loads and enter into service agreements “to facilitate for those loads the sale and purchase” of electric and natural gas, according to the ballot language.

If approved, the ordinance will allow the city to negotiate with electric and gas companies for lower rates on behalf of consumers, city officials explained.

In all 35 Gallia precincts, voters will choose between Republican incumbent Harold Montgomery of Gallipolis and Democratic challenger Justin Fallon of Patriot for county commissioner. Incumbent County Auditor Larry Betz of Gallipolis, a Republican, is seeking reelection and is opposed by Democrat Mark Kirkhart of Thurman.

Regional and state office races will also appear on the ballot.

Elections Director Jeff Halley noted that all voting locations will remain the same, and aside from people still adjusting to the use of computerized voting machines, the biggest change in this year’s election requires voters to produce identification when they go to the polls.

The form of identification that can be used includes a current and valid photo ID card, military identification, a copy of a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or government document displaying the voter’s name and current address.

The requirement is the latest set down by the state in continuing efforts to combat election fraud, Halley said. Originally, voters were asked to give the last four digits of their Social Security number or driver’s license ID number.

“So many issues were raised after the 2004 election and even back to the 2000 election,” he said. “Basically it was to cut down on voter fraud.”

Local voter registration ends Oct. 10, but Halley noted that anyone who fails to register can request a provisional ballot on Election Day. Provisional ballots are included in the official vote total certified by the elections board, usually 10 business days after the election.