Voters expected to stay away from May primary

YOUNGSTOWN — About three-quarters of registered voters in the Mahoning Valley will stay home for the May 8 primary, election officials say.

“It’s been so dead like there’s not even an election,” said Stephanie Penrose, Trumbull County Board of Elections director. “We really haven’t had much activity around here. If the interest to now is any indication, I don’t think it’s going to be a busy election.”

Penrose expects turnout in her county for the primary to be between 20 percent and 25 percent.

“We’re not seeing a lot of interest in terms of registration and absentee applications,” said Thomas McCabe, deputy director of the Mahoning County Board of Elections. “I don’t see a lot of people interested in the primary even with a favorite son [Democrat Joe Schiavoni] running for governor.”

Turnout in Mahoning should be about 22 percent to 25 percent, McCabe said.

It should be about 24 percent to 25 percent in Columbiana County, said Adam Booth, its elections director.

Early voting starts Tuesday with boards able to start processing absentee votes by mail that day. Military and overseas voting is already underway.

For the complete story, read Sunday's Vindicator and Vindy.com