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Low voter turnout forecast in Valley
YOUNGSTOWN
Turnout for Tuesday’s primary is expected to be very low, but election officials in Mahoning and Trumbull counties don’t expect it to be as bad as in the 2009 off-year primary.
Thomas McCabe, director of the Mahoning County Board of Elections, expects turnout in his county to be 22 percent to 25 percent.
“It’s very, very bad,” added Joyce Kale Pesta, the elections board’s deputy director. “If it rains, God help us all.”
But 22 percent to 25 percent is optimistic compared to May 2009, when turnout was 10.8 percent, and about a 19-percent turnout in May 2007.
Turnout should be decent in Canfield and Poland, where new school levies are on the ballot, McCabe said.
“These school levies tend to bring people out and traditionally, Canfield and Poland always have good turnout,” he said.
Fewer than 2,500 people voted early in Mahoning County with many of them from Struthers, which has Democratic primaries for council seats.
Only 92 of the county’s 273 voting precincts will be open Tuesday. No candidates or issues are on the ballot in the other precincts.
Kelly Pallante, Trumbull County Board of Elections director, said she expects turnout of 20 percent to 25 percent with the Democratic primaries for Warren mayor and Girard Municipal Court judge largely responsible if the county reaches the higher amount.
Pallante said she anticipated about 2,500 early voters, but the county has about 200 more.
Even 20 percent turnout would be better than 2009. Turnout in Trumbull that year was 16.2 percent and 21.9 percent in 2007.
Of the county’s 238 precincts, 130 will be open Tuesday because no candidates or issues are on the ballots in the other 108 precincts.
Adam Booth, Columbiana County Board of Elections director, expects turnout to be between 12 percent and 15 percent.
“If recent history is any indication, his lower-end estimate is likely. Turnout was 12.2 percent in 2009 and 12.7 percent in 2007.
“I’d be shocked if it was more than 20 percent,” he said.
Because there are so few races, only 44 of the county’s 95 voting precincts are open Tuesday, Booth said.