Early voting under way in Mahoning County

YOUNGSTOWN — There wasn’t a line at the Mahoning County Board of Elections when it opened its doors at 8 a.m. today to early voters.

But there was a steady stream of people coming to the Market Street office to vote today.

Today was the first day for eligible voters in Ohio to cast ballots; Election Day is Nov. 4.

The first person to vote in Mahoning County was Toma Barcley of Youngstown, who walked to the election board’s front counter a few seconds after 8 a.m.

Wearing a shirt that read “Team Obama ‘08” on the front and “Mahoning Valley for Obama” on the back, Barcley said she voted early so she could spend time encouraging others to do the same. State elections law forbids those voting to wear anything in favor of a specific candidate or issue so Barcley put on her coat.

Voting second was Marty Yavorcik, an independent candidate for county prosecutor.

Yavorcik said he voted early to get it out of the way and give him plenty of time to campaign outside the elections board.

After voting, Yavorcik stood outside in a light drizzle urging those inside to vote for him.

For the complete story, read Wednesday’s Vindicator or Vindy.com