Officials expect fewer people at polls
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While today is Election Day, most people voting in Mahoning and Trumbull counties already have cast their ballots.
If turnout in this election hits 75 percent in the Mahoning Valley, 54.8 percent of those in Trumbull County and 53.5 percent in Mahoning County had voted early as of Monday afternoon.
"We've had a ridiculous amount of early and absentee voting, so we'll have less people at the polls" today, Stephanie Penrose, director of the Trumbull County Board of Elections, said. "I've been amazed by the early turnout. A majority of the reason is COVID-related, but there's a comfort factor by those who voted by mail because so many have done it and it's been easy."
Thomas McCabe, deputy director of the Mahoning County Board of Elections, also said more people than ever voted early because of the COVID-19 pandemic and because both major political parties encouraged it.
"We're looking for a steady day" today, he said. "Polling locations will be busy in the morning with lines at 6:30 (a.m.), at lunch time and at the end of the day. But we're not going to have heavy turnout at polling locations because so many people have already voted. We expect a smooth day at the polls."
Of the 136,928 registered voters in Trumbull, 56,305 voted as of Monday afternoon with 37,396 by mail and 18,909 in-person. That's 41.1 percent of all registered voters in the county who already have voted.
Of the 165,383 registered voters in Mahoning, 66,385 voted as of Monday afternoon with 46,033 by mail and 20,352 in-person. That's 40.1 percent of all of the county's registered voters to cast early ballots.
In Mahoning County, three times as many registered Democrats voted early compared to registered Republicans. The Trumbull County Board of Elections doesn't keep track of early voters by party affiliation.
The number of people voting early this year is significantly more than those who did it in the 2016 election. Four years ago, Trumbull County had about 39,500 early voters, while Mahoning County had about 42,000.
With early votes being available shortly after the polls close today at 7:30 p.m., the results from more than half of those voting will be known quickly as long as there's not a problem or a statewide delay.
"I'm expecting a smooth election," Penrose said. "We really prepared for this election. I feel so at ease during the biggest election of my lifetime. It's because of preparedness. We've been working on it since last December."
The two boards of elections have made significant adjustments to polling locations because of the pandemic, Penrose and McCabe said.
Voting booths will be sanitized before and after each voter, hand sanitizer will be available to voters and social distancing will be practiced.
The polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. today.
Those who received absentee ballots in the mail, but haven't returned them, have to put them in drop boxes outside their county board office by 7:30 tonight for them to be counted.
If you requested an absentee ballot and haven't received it or changed your mind and want to vote in person, you must go to your polling location and cast a provisional ballot, Penrose and McCabe said.
"Our biggest issue is those who didn't get ballots who requested them," McCabe said. "But you probably should have spoken up before now. You need to show up at your polling location and vote provisionally."
The term "provisional ballot" gets a bad name, McCabe said, but "90 percent of provisionals end up counting and go into the official count."
A provisional ballot is used if a voter's eligibility is in question and is counted if that can be verified, according to the Ohio Secretary of State's office.
Also, organizers with the Mahoning Valley chapter of Protect the Results says it is monitoring the election process results and will speak out if a candidate declares victory before the final tallies are in.
The group organized nationally primarily out of concern of potential interference by President Donald Trump with the election and / or if he refuses to leave office should he lose. But the group has no control over the election.
"We want people of the Mahoning Valley to know they have a way to demand democracy if the results are not respected," Julie Stout, co-organizer, said.