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Mahoning County Board of Elections Director optimistic for 15 percent voter turnout in Canfield special election
By ROBERT CONNELLY
CANFIELD
Residents have questioned the city’s decision to have a special-election ballot on a proposed half-percent income tax before voters in two weeks.
The Canfield issue is the only special-election issue in Mahoning County on Aug. 4.
The Mahoning County Board of Elections said there are 6,066 registered city voters. Turnout for the 2012 primary was 34.16 percent and for the 2014 primary was 20.35 percent.
Joyce Kale-Pesta, elections board director, said voter turnout “changes dramatically” in special elections. “It’s a lot fewer voters, especially in the August one,” she said. “Usually in special elections it is voter knowledge [of an election], and a lot of people don’t know they have them.”
She also said, “I’m always optimistic about voters. I’m hoping [turnout] will be at least 15 percent.”
City officials said they wanted the issue to be alone and not against other issues in November. That includes a schools renewal levy, candidates for city council and the school board, as well as an operating levy for Mill Creek MetroParks.
“Hopefully, we can get as many of the voters out there as we possibly can because this is an important election,” said Don Dragish Jr., council president.
The elections board reduced the city’s voting precincts from 10 to 8 and the special election will cost Canfield about $10,000. That’s because the city is picking up the cost of running those eight precincts, while November elections have the costs split among the entities on the ballot.
Kale-Pesta said cutting two precincts saved the city about $2,000 per precinct.
There had been a limited number of absentee ballot applications and early voters so far in the special election, elections board officials said. The first day of early voting was July 7.