Elections officials predict turnout in Valley at 30 percent

By DAVID SKOLNICK

skolnick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

More than two-thirds of registered voters in the Mahoning Valley won’t bother casting ballots in the primary election, local election officials say.

There is little on Tuesday’s ballot that interests voters and that, in turn, will lead to poor turnout, they say.

Elections board directors in Mahoning and Trumbull expect turnout in their counties to be 30 percent each.

“I don’t see any race bringing people out to the polls,” said Thomas McCabe, Mahoning County Board of Elections director. “People aren’t focusing on the election. Maybe we’ll have a late surge, but I don’t see that happening.”

Adam Booth, Columbiana County Board of Elections director, isn’t as optimistic as his counterparts in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

He’s anticipating turnout in his county to be between 20 percent and 25 percent.

If history is any indication, the predictions by the local boards of elections directors are accurate.

During the 2006 primary, turnout was 28 percent in Mahoning, 31 percent in Trumbull and 27 percent in Columbiana. That was the last even-year election without a presidential race.

Also, the number of those taking advantage of no-fault early voting in this year’s primary is lower than expected, the directors say.

Mahoning County has about 7,500 early voters. The expectation was 12,000 to 15,000, McCabe said.

“This election will have a very light turnout,” he said.

Trumbull County has about 4,200 early voters. About 5,000 were expected, said Kelly Pallante, director of that county’s board of elections.

“It’s a quiet election,” she said. “Come November [the general election], we’re all going to be very busy. But this time I don’t think so.”

Columbiana County will have a “hard time” getting 1,500 early voters, Booth said. That’s less than half of what was expected.