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Turnout is expected to be light for Tuesday’s primary
YOUNGSTOWN
Turnout for Tuesday’s primary election will be very light, local election officials say.
And that’s with election officials acknowledging they are optimistic about their predictions.
Turnout is expected to be between 25 percent and 30 percent in Mahoning County among eligible voters, said Joyce Kale-Pesta, its elections director. That’s down from her prediction a month ago of 35 percent to 40 percent.
“It’s been very slow leading up to this election,” she said. “The phones aren’t ringing, nothing’s happening.”
While there are contested Democratic primaries for mayor and city council president in Youngstown, Kale-Pesta said the races drawing interest are for municipal court judge in Youngstown and Struthers. The Struthers court’s jurisdiction includes that city, Poland, Lowellville, New Middletown and Springfield Township.
In Mahoning County, 87 of 212 voting precincts are open for the primary.
Elections directors in Trumbull and Columbiana counties both expect turnout of eligible voters there to be about 15 percent.
“That might be generous,” said Stephanie Penrose, Trumbull County Board of Elections director. Early voting “turnout has been abysmal. This is where your local government operates and where your local tax dollars are spent. These are more important to your life than president and governor, and we get less turnout for the local races.”
The only candidate race attracting some interest in the county, Penrose said, is for Niles Municipal Court judge. That court’s jurisdiction includes Niles, McDonald and Weathersfield.
In Trumbull County, voters in 86 of 158 precincts can cast ballots.
There are no Republican primaries in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
There are no primary races – Democrat or Republican – in Columbiana County, where 17 of its 87 precincts are open for six local issues, said Adam Booth, its board of elections director.
Reaching 15 percent may be an ambitious prediction, Booth said.
“That’s because there are no candidates and many people are unaware there is a primary election,” he said.
The polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Early-voting hours at board of elections offices are from 1 to 5 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday.
The Mahoning County Board of Elections is in Oakhill Renaissance Place, 345 Oak Hill Ave. in Youngstown.
The Trumbull board is at 2947 Youngstown Road SE in Warren, and Columbiana County’s board office is at 7989 Dickey Drive in Lisbon.