43
Time for early voting limited
YOUNGSTOWN
Those wanting to vote early are running out of time.
A change in the law cuts off in-person early voting at 6 p.m. Nov. 4, the Friday before the general election. Previously, the deadline was the close of business the Monday before the general election. That’s Nov. 7 this year.
To accommodate those who vote early on weekends, the Mahoning County Board of Elections will be open this Saturday and Sunday, said Thomas McCabe, its director.
“This will, at least, give weekend voters a chance to come in,” McCabe said.
In past years, the board had weekend voting only on the last Saturday before an election, he said. The exception is presidential years in which there were more weekend voting days.
The board’s office at Oakhill Renaissance Place on Oak Hill Avenue in Youngstown will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
McCabe said he doubts many people will show up on those days, but the board wants to give people the option.
The new law doesn’t impact the deadline to request early-voting ballots by mail. Requests by mail must be to county boards of elections by noon Nov. 5.
In Trumbull County, the board of elections typically is open on the two Saturdays before an election, said Kelly Pallante, its elections director.
The board, 2947 Youngstown Road SE in Warren, will be open for early voting from 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday.
In Columbiana County, the board of elections is not extending its hours and won’t be open this weekend, said Adam Booth, its elections director.
“Turnout hasn’t warranted extra hours,” he said.
State Rep. Ronald V. Gerberry of Austintown, D-59th, urged people to vote early during a press conference Thursday at the Mahoning County Board of Elections office.
He was supposed to be joined by state Rep. Bob Hagan of Youngstown, D-60th, who couldn’t make it because he was called to work as a locomotive engineer at CSX Transportation.
“If you have a job [like Hagan’s] that says you have to be on the job at any hour, you could miss out on voting if you wait until Election Day,” Gerberry said. “That’s why we want people voting early.”