Early voting: Turnout steady but not heavy
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There was a steady flow of people casting ballots in Mahoning and Trumbull counties on the first day of early voting Wednesday with several of them specifically coming out to vote on a statewide abortion rights constitutional amendment proposal.
Also attracting interest was a statewide issue to legalize recreational marijuana, though it was less than the abortion rights proposal. The ballot includes a number of local tax issues and candidates for races, including township trustee and fiscal officer, village and city council seats and spots on boards of education.
Stephanie Penrose, director of the Trumbull County Board of Elections, said turnout in her county was steady, but "a little bit slower than I thought. It comes in spurts. We're not doing quite as good as this time for the August election, but it will pick up as people contemplate things and as the advertising gets heavier."
The board has nearly 1,500 requests for mail ballots so far, slightly less than half of what it received for the August election, Penrose said.
"We're already halfway there," she said.
State Issue 1, the abortion rights amendment, was the most important item on the ballot, said Helen Jackson of Youngstown.
"That's the main reason I came out to vote," she said. "I oppose it."
Casey Cox of Boardman also voted early Wednesday, specifically to support Issue 1.
"It's very important because I have daughters and I want to protect them," she said.
Cox said she typically comes out to vote on the first day.
"I was taught to use my voice," she said. "With Issue 1, this is a very important election."
Chris Williams of Boardman said he "always likes to vote early. I've been voting for 25 years. Issues 1 and 2 were the driving forces for me."
Williams, who lives in the Canfield school district, said the district's bond issue, which he supports, also was important to him.
Kevin O'Connor of Youngstown said he normally votes by mail, but was in the area of the Mahoning County Board of Elections' early voting center, so decided to do it in person.
O'Connor said the two state issues, which he supported, were what brought him out to vote on the first day.
"When I have a uterus, I'll have a say in reproductive rights," O'Connor said.
Tom McCabe, director of the Mahoning County board, said voting was "steady" on the first day of early voting though not as heavy as the first day of early voting during the special election in August. That election had a single issue on the ballot: to raise the threshold to 60% from a simple majority to get future constitutional amendments approved. Ohio voters rejected the proposal.
The Mahoning County board has received about 1,700 requests for mail ballots so far, which is "well below what we had at this point in August," McCabe said.
"I'm a little surprised because of what we saw in August," he said. "We have two statewide issues this time, instead of one, and local races. These elections are important. These are your school boards and trustees and councils. It affects your taxes and quality of life locally."