Polling places will be busy

Turnout is predicted at 80 percent in Mercer County.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Election officials in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys predict high voter turnout Tuesday, though each uses a different theory to come to that conclusion.
Michael Sciortino, director of Mahoning County Board of Elections, predicts turnout at 70 percent. This is based on the dramatic increase in new voter registrations and a large absentee vote, he said.
More than 13,000 people voted absentee in the county as of Thursday, and the elections board received requests for absentee ballots from an additional 4,500 people, he said. In 2000, Mahoning had 12,319 absentee ballots.
"My estimation is because of the amount of activity," Sciortino said. "Also, people are polarized with the two presidential candidates. I've spoken to people in their 30s who've never voted before and will this year."
In the 2000 presidential election, Sciortino predicted turnout at 66 percent. It ended up being 63 percent.
Trumbull
Norma Williams, director of Trumbull County's elections board, predicts turnout at 75 percent.
"I took the averages of the last three presidential elections and I got my percentage," she said. "We'll see how close we get."
Williams predicted turnout in 2000 at 70 percent. It was 66 percent.
As far as absentee voters, Trumbull has received 9,608 of them as of Thursday. The county mailed 12,283 of them to voters who requested the ballots.
A person can vote absentee either at the elections board or by mail if they are 62 years of age or older, have a disability that makes it difficult to get to a polling place, or will be out of the county Election Day.
Columbiana, Mercer
John Payne, director of Columbiana County's elections board, uses what he calls "the crystal ball theory," to come up with his voter turnout figure of 60 percent.
"It's an educated guess," he said. "If 70 percent show up, we can say, 'We were surprised.'"
Payne predicted turnout in 2000 at 59 percent. It was 60 percent.
The county mailed 4,500 absentee ballots and expects to get back at least 3,500 of them.
James Bennington, director of Mercer County Bureau of Registration and Elections, said turnout will be heavy. He didn't want to give a number, but when pressed, he said it should be 80 percent.
"With all the hoopla, it's going to be high," he said. "Also, because it should rain Tuesday, I think it will be 80 percent. It would be 90 percent if the weather was good. People don't want to come out in the rain."
His 2000 election year prediction was 70 percent. Turnout was 66 percent.
The county mailed 4,000 absentee ballots, and expects more than 3,000 to be returned.
Marlene Gabriel, director of Lawrence County elections, couldn't be reached Thursday to comment on voter turnout.
In the 2000 election, she was dead-on with her prediction of 72 percent.
There are more than 2,500 absentee ballots cast by Lawrence County voters this year.
Statewide
James Lee, a spokesman for the Ohio secretary of state, said a turnout projection for the state should be released today.
There are about 8.08 million Ohioans registered to vote Tuesday compared with about 7.54 million in 2000. Turnout in Ohio in 2000 was 63 percent.
The Pennsylvania Department of State said 8.3 million are registered to vote Tuesday, compared with 7.78 million in 2000. The state doesn't predict voter turnout, but it should be well over 60 percent, a department spokesman said.
skolnick@vindy.com