Ted Strickland cast an absentee ballot at the Columbiana County Board of Elections on Friday. The question now is will the vote cast by the Democratic candidate for governor be counted?

The board of elections has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday over Strickland's voting status, but the candidate's campaign has promised legal action to stop the hearing.

The campaign is "moving swiftly to protect his right to vote and the vote he cast today," a spokesman said Friday.

Strickland's voting status in Columbiana County was challenged Oct. 4 in a complaint that said the congressman's residence is actually in Columbus. Strickland said he owns a house in Columbus, but also rents and is registered to vote in Lisbon, which is in his House district.

The elections board tied 2-2 last week on whether to hear the challenge. This week, an assistant under Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, Strickland's opponent, told the board to hold the hearing. If, after the hearing, the board deadlocks on Strickland's registration, Blackwell's office would be asked to break the tie.

A Strickland spokesman said the campaign will go to court to block Tuesday's hearing because state law requires that such hearings must be held within 10 days of a complaint.