Election directors in Mahoning and Trumbull counties lowered their minimal expectations for turnout during this election.

Tom McCabe, director of the Mahoning County Board of Elections, had predicted turnout in his county to be 22% right before the Oct. 7 start of early voting. After seeing lower-than-expected in-person voters and a decline in requests for absentee ballots, McCabe revised his projection downward to 20%.

Stephanie Penrose, director of the Trumbull County Board of Elections, predicted 22% turnout in her county before early voting began. She now expects turnout to be 17% to 18%.

The turnout projections would be the lowest for a November general election in at least three decades, and likely longer.

“It’s a shame,” McCabe said. “These are important elections, particularly with property taxes being such an important issue. People aren’t participating. It’s beyond me. We’re going backwards.”

Penrose said even her reduced expectation for turnout might be optimistic.

“I’m not feeling that confident about it,” she said. “I hope I’m wrong, and the turnout blows me out of the water. But unfortunately I don’t think that’s going to happen. There’s very little interest with this election. There doesn’t seem like there’s much that will bring people out.”

While every city, township, village and school district has candidates, in addition to numerous tax issues, McCabe and Penrose said voters aren’t engaged in this election.

It’s often the case in odd-year elections when there isn’t a statewide issue on the ballot, but the directors see the trend worsening with this election.

Penrose expects higher turnout in Cortland, where a 1.5-mill additional continuous levy for police services is on the ballot. But she doesn’t see it elsewhere, including Warren, where voters can choose council members, a municipal court judge and the permanent renewal of a 0.5% income tax.

Despite a Youngstown mayoral race and contested elections in Mahoning’s most-populous townships, McCabe said few are enthusiastic about voting.

The current lowest turnout year for a general election in the two counties since at least the mid-1990s was in 2021. Turnout in Mahoning County was 25.07% and 22.37% in Trumbull that year.

It wasn’t much better in 2019. Turnout in Mahoning that year was 26.63% and 30.28% in Trumbull.

With two statewide issues on the 2023 ballot — an abortion rights constitutional amendment and the legalization of recreational marijuana for adults — turnout was much higher. It was 47.81% in Mahoning and 48.83% in Trumbull.

That was close to the 2022 general election turnout with races for statewide officeholders on the ballot. Turnout was 53.17% in Mahoning and 54.14% in Trumbull.

McCabe said there is one bright spot: Those who vote in this election have much more influence over the outcomes than normal.

“Our vote means more and carries more weight because so few people will vote,” McCabe said.

There is still time for early in-person voting.

Boards of elections are open today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The Trumbull office is at 2947 Youngstown Road SE, Warren.

The Mahoning office is in Oakhill Renaissance Place, 345 Oak Hill Ave., Youngstown.

Polling locations are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Penrose said people must vote Tuesday at their polling locations and not at the board office.

A photo identification is needed to vote early in-person today and Sunday and at polling locations Tuesday.

To vote, a person needs one of the following: a driver’s license, a state ID card, a passport, a passport card or a military ID.

The deadline to request absentee ballots has passed. Those who have requested and received ballots, must have them postmarked by Monday and they must arrive no later than Nov. 8 at board offices to be counted.