Hot Ohio casino issue sparks surge in early Valley voting

By David Skolnick

YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning Valley election officials said they expected an increase in the number of those taking advantage of early voting but are somewhat surprised at the number of those wanting to cast ballots before the Nov. 3 election.

“We knew it was going to be higher than in the past, but I don’t think anyone thought it would be this many,” said Thomas McCabe, Mahoning County Board of Elections director. “It’s so much higher than we’ve ever done during an odd-year” election when there are few major races.

As of Tuesday, that elections board had received about 11,000 requests for early voting ballots, McCabe said.

In comparison, only 6,945 Mahoning County residents voted early in 2007, the last odd-year election.

Odd-year elections primarily include local races — such as for mayor, council, trustee and school board members — and usually have lower voter turnout than even-year elections, which include county, state and federal races, elections officials say.

The Trumbull County Board of Elections has received about 8,000 requests for early-voting ballots as of Tuesday, said Kelly Pallante, its director. That number was 3,900 in 2007.

“There’s no comparison at all to 2007; we’re way over that number,” Pallante said.

Columbiana County has seen a modest increase from two years ago. There’s been 2,197 early-voting requests as of Tuesday, compared to 1,710 two years ago, said Kim Meeks, its elections board director.

Why the increase when early voting has been permitted in Ohio since 2006?

There are two reasons, local elections officials say.

First, the 2008 presidential election brought a lot of attention to the ease of early voting.

“A lot of people realized they don’t need an excuse to vote early anymore after the 2008 election, and they’re continuing to take advantage of it this year,” Pallante said.

Before early voting became law, those who wanted to cast ballots before Election Day needed a reason do so. Those reasons included being out of the county on Election Day or too ill to make it to a polling location.

“Early voting has become more known through the media and the interest groups that push it,” Meeks said. “People are now more aware of it.”

The second reason, elections officials say, for the increase in early voter turnout this year is the state casino gambling issue.

Both sides of the issue mailed requests for early-voting applications to those throughout the state.

There are a number of local issues and candidates on the ballot drawing interest from voters, but the casino issue is the driving force behind an increase in early voters for this election, McCabe said.

skolnick@vindy.com