Early Ohio voting starts out slowly

CLEVELAND (AP) — In the state that may again determine the presidency, voters started casting ballots Tuesday as Barack Obama struggles to thwart a John Mc- Cain victory in Ohio four years after it tipped the election to President Bush.

Both candidates visit often while spending millions of dollars flooding TV and radio with advertisements, mailboxes with literature and even voicemail with automated phone calls to get supporters to the polls, particularly during the one-week window in which people can register and vote in one swoop.

Early participation appeared light; officials in the state’s largest counties that are home to Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo and Dayton each reported several hundred ballots cast by afternoon.

Franklin County, which includes Columbus, saw 808 early voters Tuesday, with 72 newly registered. Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland, reported having 558 voters with 110 of them newly registered. Hamilton County, which includes Cincinnati, had 656 voters, with 54 of them taking advantage of same-day registration.

Many of those who voted cited convenience.