Reporter’s notebook

Sorry, we’re closed

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning County Board of Elections had some calls from people complaining that their polling locations were closed.

That’s because those areas — including Youngstown’s East Side and Boardman — didn’t have any candidates or issues on the ballot.

Most of those who went to vote in Boardman were looking for a township police levy that was initially placed on the May ballot and then removed by trustees to be put in front of voters during an August special election.

There were candidates in Youngstown for a municipal court judge, clerk of courts and city council seats. But because all those positions, except council’s 4th and 5th Ward seats, were unopposed, polling locations in the rest of the city were closed.

Not quite as bad

YOUNGSTOWN

The percentage of voters who cast ballots in the primary was low, but not as poor as local election officials had predicted.

Turnout in Mahoning County was 28.2 percent. Election officials had predicted turnout at 22 percent to 25 percent. In Columbiana County, turnout was 19.7 percent with election officials there predicting turnout at 12 percent to 15 percent. The turnout in Trumbull County wasn’t available Tuesday. Election officials there predicted turnout between 20 percent and 25 percent.

Not as many next time

WARREN

Trumbull County will have 28 fewer voting precincts starting with the November election, saving the county about $22,000 per election in fewer poll workers and less poll-worker training.

The elections board approved consolidation of 13 of Warren’s 55 precincts, six of Niles’ 26 precincts, two of 13 in Girard and two of 10 in Hubbard. Two of Howland Township’s 20 precincts will be consolidated, one of 13 in Liberty Township, one of two in Mesopotamia Township, and one of 10 in Weathersfield Township.

All the consolidations will result from combining two precincts into one. In 16 cases, voters will not have to change polling places because the two precincts are already at the same place. In those instances, there will be fewer election workers at that location, said Kelly Pallante, elections board director.

The reduction, proposed by Craig Bonar, a Republican elections board member, cuts the number of precincts from 238 to 210.

Changing the subject

LISBON

What do politicians talk about while waiting for results? Not politics. Columbiana County elections board members ordered pizza and talked about food, corner stores and the people who ran the establishments.