WARREN — Turnout for the primary election is expected to be 45 percent to 50 percent in Trumbull County and should be a lot worse in Mahoning, according to election officials.

Stephanie Penrose, Trumbull County board of elections director, and Thomas McCabe, Mahoning County Board of Elections deputy director, say the Democratic presidential race will drive turnout in the primary.

But Trumbull’s turnout will be helped by a number of other contested primaries for Democrats and Republicans as well as three additional tax levies, Penrose said.

In Mahoning, the only other contested primaries on the March 17 ballot are on the Republican side for the 13th and 6th Congressional districts. The only additional levy on the ballot is in Beaver Township for police services. The lack of contested primaries will drive down turnout in Mahoning, McCabe said.

Penrose predicts turnout in Trumbull County to be between 45 percent and 50 percent. It was 44.87 percent in 2016 when there were contested presidential primaries for both political parties. It was 24.74 percent in 2012 when then-President Barack Obama ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and six Republican presidential candidates were on the ballot.

Turnout in Mahoning County is expected to be between 30 percent and 35 percent, McCabe said. That’s a steep decline from 47.19 percent in 2016 in the county. But it’s close to the 29.62 percent turnout in 2012.

In the March 17 election, 10 Democratic presidential candidates are on the ballot though two recently quit. However, they’ll remain on the ballot. President Donald Trump is the only Republican presidential candidate on the Ohio ballot.

“The big race is going to be who’s nominated to be president” by the Democrats, Penrose said.

Numerous states are having primaries and caucuses before Ohio. The Democratic race for president could be decided by the time of Ohio’s March 17 primary, McCabe said.

“If that happens, it will drive down turnout,” he said. “We’ll have a better feel for it in the next week or two and certainly after the March 3 and 10 primaries.”

Even though Trump is unopposed, his supporters are expected to come out to vote for the president, Penrose and McCabe said.

“People will come out specificially to support Trump,” Penrose said.

McCabe added: “We’ll see people come out to vote for Trump even though he’s unopposed. But it won’t be anything like 2016.”

In Trumbull, Penrose said: “There are a lot of other races that will bring out voters.”

In particular, she said, a contested county commissioner race — on both the Democratic and Republican ballots — is drawing a lot of interest as well as additional tax levies for Liberty schools, Southington schools and the Eagle Joint Fire District in Hubbard.

Meanwhile, county elections boards in Ohio will be open late Tuesday to allow people to register to vote. The Mahoning board is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and the Trumbull board is open from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. It’s the last day to register for the March 17 election.

To register in person, you need either your driver’s license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

The Mahoning County Board of Elections is in Oakhill Renaissance Place, 345 Oak Hill Ave., Youngstown. Trumbull’s board is at 2947 Youngstown Road SE, Warren.

“It’s been steady, but not a huge influx of voters,” McCabe said.

Also, you can register online at voteohio.gov — the Ohio secretary of state’s website — by Tuesday.

“More people are doing it online because it’s easier,” Penrose said. “We’ll have some people (come in Tuesday), but I don’t think it will be busy.”

Early voting starts Wednesday. Election boards can process votes by mail starting that day.

Early in-person voting at boards of elections is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Friday, Feb. 24 to 28, and March 2 to 6.

The hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 7, a Saturday.

It’s from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 9 to 13.

Early voting is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 14, the Saturday before the primary; 1 to 5 p.m. March 15; and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 16.

Polling locations in Ohio are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. March 17.