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No rush, no lines for early voters
Elections officials in the region anticipate a record number of absentee voters.
YOUNGSTOWN — There was no mad rush through the doors at the boards of elections in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties on the first day of early voting.
It was more like a casual walk with a minimal amount of waiting for some who went to the election board offices Tuesday, the first day those in Ohio could cast a ballot in this election.
This is the first presidential election year with no-fault early voting in Ohio.
The expectation of what would happen Tuesday was uncertain.
After all, local elections officials anticipate a record number of absentee voters in this election.
Would there be a line of people out the doors at the boards?
Would the presidential campaigns bus in hundreds of people to the offices on the first day of early voting?
Would voters have long waits to cast their ballots?
No, no and no.
There was no one waiting when the offices opened.
Wearing a shirt that read “Team Obama ’08” on the front and “Mahoning Valley for Obama” on the back, Toma Barcley of Youngstown walked into the Mahoning board moments after the clock struck 8 a.m.
Barcley said she and others voting for Democrat Barack Obama for president were supposed to meet at the board when it opened, but she was by herself.
“I was looking for other Obama supporters, but the rain [which fell early Tuesday] must have held them up,” said Barcley, who was the first person to vote in Mahoning County.
Barcley said she voted early so she could spend time encouraging others to do the same.
“There’s no reason to wait,” she said of why she voted over a month before Election Day, Nov. 4.
Marty Yavorcik of Boardman, an independent candidate for county prosecutor, was the second voter in Mahoning County.
He was delayed a bit when an election worker handed him the wrong form. But other than that, the process went smoothly.
Yavorcik said he plans to spend a lot of time campaigning outside the elections board office at 2801 Market St. in Youngstown.
“It’s smart to do this,” he said of early voting. “It eases the lines at the precincts.”
Lynda Coleman of Youngstown said she was excited to have the opportunity to vote this early.
“I want to make sure my vote is counted,” said Coleman, who’s voted by mail in recent years because of health problems. Coleman proudly said she voted Monday for all Democrats on the ballot.
Barbara Kelly of Youngstown was at the Mahoning elections board early Tuesday to vote for Obama.
“I’m able to tell people how easy it is to do,” she said. “It’s a little incentive to get people off their butts and do it too.”
About 300 or so voted Tuesday at the Mahoning County Board of Elections.
“There was talk of bus and van loads and groups camping out the night before in the parking lot,” said Thomas McCabe, the county’s elections director. “That didn’t happen. If it did, we’re prepared for it. We’re excited and we hope people take the opportunity to vote early instead of waiting in line at the polling locations.”
About four vans with about eight to 10 Obama supporters were at the Mahoning office Tuesday, McCabe said.
The number of early voters Tuesday in Trumbull was about 200.
“Our counter’s been full, but no line out the door,” said Kelly Pallante, its elections director.
In Columbiana, about 50 people voted early Tuesday.
“Everything’s going fine — no problem,” said Lois Gall, its deputy elections director.
The county’s paper ballots won’t arrive at the elections board until later this week. That led Gall to ask Columbiana County voters to wait a few days before voting at the board office on North Park Avenue in Lisbon.
“There’s still plenty of time” for early voting, she said. “They’ve got a whole month. There’s no need to rush.”
Voters can cast ballots at their county board of elections until 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4, Election Day.
skolnick@vindy.com