Mahoning residents raise concerns about precinct reductions

YOUNGSTOWN

Twenty-eight people filled the Mahoning County Board of Elections board room to ask questions and raise concerns about a proposal to slash the number of voting precincts in Youngstown and Struthers.

The plan would eliminate 32 precincts in Youngstown, from 77 to 45, but the polling locations will stay the same. That would leave the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th wards with six precincts and the 5th, 6th and 7th wards with seven precincts.

It also includes the elimination of three precincts in Struthers — one each in the 1st, 2nd and 4th wards.

“We’re mandated by the Secretary of State to increase the number of voters per precinct,” said David Betras, board vice chairman and chairman of the county’s Democratic Party. “We have the lowest number of voters per precinct in the whole state.”

Even with the reduction, the county still will have fewer voters per precinct than the state average, he said.

Carol Crytzer, Struthers 2nd Ward councilwoman, and Tony Fire, Struthers 1st Ward councilman, questioned why their city was being singled out since it lost precincts a few years ago.

Youngstown resident Bobbe Reynolds said he’s concerned about elderly people being able to get to the polls with the new plan.

Read more about the matter in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.