ELECTION DAY Voters line up at polls

Turnout appeared to be very heavy from the start.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
Bob Trewella walked into his polling place at the Boardman Library just before 6:30 a.m. today expecting the usual one or two voters ahead of him.
Instead, the line of about three dozen stopped him in the middle of a hallway.
"Wow," he said. "Can you believe this?"
Polling places across the region were swamped early today.
There were reports of more than a hundred people lined up first thing this morning at polling places in Boardman, Austintown and Canfield.
In Boardman, about three dozen people were lined up when voting started at the two precincts in the library on Glenwood Avenue.
Poll workers usually see only a few people at opening time, said Claranne McCloud, a worker in Boardman precinct 35.
"That's a good indication, I'd say, that it will be a busy day for all of us," she said.
50 were waiting
About 50 people waited in a line extending down the hall into the library lobby within minutes of the poll's opening.
Tom Albani, another usually early voter, said the high early turnout was a good thing so he didn't mind the wait.
Frank Scarsella, who operates Scarsella Furniture in Canfield, said he also usually arrives first thing and rarely waits. But he didn't mind.
Scarsella, wearing a red, white and blue tie to inspire customers to vote, said he was headed to church to pray for the outcome after casting his ballot.
"It's the most important election I'll ever vote in," he said.
More than 100 people arrived in the first 15 minutes of voting at Boardman United Methodist Church on Market Street.
"It's packed in there," said Dick Halt, who was outside handing out literature for Wade Smith, a candidate for judge of Mahoning County Juvenile Court.
Halt said he saw a number of younger people enter the poll first thing, which he hadn't seen before.
Joe Everett noticed the same thing at Hillman Elementary School on Myrtle Avenue on the South Side, where about 50 people waited at 7 a.m.
Election Protection
Volunteers for the group Election Protection were stationed outside Hillman school.
The group, organized by the group People for the American Way, is there to help voters if they experience any problems, said Elaine Klein, who came from New York City today to help.
There are about 150 Election Protection volunteers across Mahoning County today, said Joyce Lomax of Youngstown, another volunteer.
There were nearly 100 people at 7:15 a.m. waiting about a half-hour to vote at the Franciscan Fathers Friary on South Belle Vista Avenue on the West Side.
Trumbull
In Trumbull County, lines formed at the polls before they opened.
There were about 15 voters standing in line at 6:30 a.m. at the Hubbard Fire Station in precinct 1-A. John Bizub, who has voted at the station for 20 years before he goes to work, said he has never seen a line in any other election. Bizub said he voted early because he may not get off work before the polls close.
Larry Jugenheimer has never seen a line in his 15 years of voting at the Hubbard Administration Building.
Jugenheimer said it wasn't only the presidential race that caused him to cast a ballot, but the entire ballot, including a 0.5-percent increase in the city income tax.
At precinct C at the Liberty Administration Building, 35 voters had cast ballots by 7 p.m.
"That's better than a vote per minute," one poll worker pointed out.
Another poll worker at precinct C said the usual turnout is between 250 and 300 voters but was expecting 400 to 450 by the time the polls closed.
"I guess I came early to beat the crowd," commented Lora Phillips after voting at the administration building, noting she could have voted during lunch.
Phillips said she was drawn to the polls to vote the entire ballot and not concentrate on the presidential race. Liberty has a 7.9-mill school issue on today's ballot.
Answering questions
Atty. Hilary Krane of Chicago was standing outside the Girard Multi-Generational Center as part of the Democrat Party Voting Rights Team.
"I'm hoping I have nothing to do," she said.
Krane explained her role is to answer voter questions and not challenge them. She is an out-of-state attorney and can't work inside where the voting takes place.
If she sees intimidation, Krane said, she can notify the county or state party or the Trumbull County Board of Elections.
Columbiana County
In Columbiana County, at First Presbyterian Church in Columbiana, there were about 30 people lined up at 7 a.m. Poll workers said people were waiting in line to vote when they arrived about 5:50 a.m. to set up.
Poll workers said voting has been "very steady" so far.
One person, who did not want to be identified, said he votes at 6:30 a.m. every election and never has had to wait. He had to do so this morning.
In Salem, at Loudon Ford, which is used as a voting precinct, about 25 to 30 people were lined up about 6:45 a.m. There were 20 to 25 people lined up at precinct in Leetonia, where normally only about 6 or 7 people vote by about 8 a.m.
Mercer County
In Mercer County, in Sharon, a line of voters stretched from the lobby in the Sharon city building shortly after 7 a.m., when the polls opened in Pennsylvania.
Naomi Whitehead, 94, of Sharon, had trouble standing, but said she felt compelled to vote today. She said her health prevented her from voting in the past three elections.
Fred Hassan, 74, of Sharon, was brought to the polls because of the proposed consolidation of five communities -- Farrell, Sharon, Hermitage, Wheatland and Sharpsville.
"I don't think they should go by one place's rule. I don't agree with that," Hassan said, referring to the plan to follow Hermitage's home-rule form of government.
If the consolidation passes in all five communities, a new city, called Shenango Valley, would be created.
Carl Wright, 63, of Farrell, came early to vote for president at the Farrell Municipal Building. He brought his grandson, Sam Marshall, 8, to see how important it was to vote. Wright was the second person in line to vote shortly after the polls opened.
Lawrence County
In Lawrence County, lines were expected at many polling places throughout the day, said Marlene Gabriel, elections office director.
"We're asking everyone to please be patient," she said.
Gabriel was expecting an 80 percent or greater turnout. She said expected rain wasn't likely to stop many voters.
"Usually if it rains, I say they won't come. This time it won't matter," she said. Gabriel noted that there has been an increased interest in registration, telephone calls to her office and absentee ballots already submitted.