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Northeast Ohio elections boards see heavy early voting turnout ahead of final weekend

Andrew Meyer
/
Ideastream Public Media
Voters wait in line outside the Portage County Board of Elections in Ravenna, Ohio on Nov. 1, 2024.

As early voting enters the final weekend ahead of Election Day, Nov. 5, many boards of elections in Ohio are reporting a significant voter turnout compared to previous years.

Traffic was heavy in the final Friday of early in-person voting at the Portage County Board of Elections in Ravenna. At one point late in the morning, the line extended out the front door, past tent canopies set up to provide shelter and down the sidewalk.

Allison Borchardt, 20, of Kent, said that she was voting early to skip the lines, but also because she trusts in-person voting more.

"I didn’t want to do the mail-in ballot because I trust the in-person a little bit more, so I figured if I had the time I might as well," Borchardt said.

Alison Dubski, a registered Democrat from Aurora, said she was so excited to vote she just couldn’t wait until Tuesday.

"I think we’re at a turning point in this country, and so I do hope people make their voices heard,” she said.

As midday approached, one worker at the Portage County Board of Elections in Ravenna advised people waiting in line that the wait time was about two hours.

Early in-person voting has been robust throughout much of Northeast Ohio.

As of midday Friday, the county has seen 35,506 in-person voters. Regine Johnson, deputy director of the Stark County Board of Elections, noted that early voting has been much more robust in 2024 than four years ago.

“The problem is that the last presidential election was a COVID election, so it was quite different,” Johnson said. “The numbers of early voters have increased over the 2020 general presidential election.”

In Stark County, registered voters requested 35,860 absentee ballots. As of midday Friday, 28,889 had already been returned.

County elections officials have told Ideastream Public Media that even during off-peak times, the wait has averaged 20 to 30 minutes. Peak times have generally been after hours and on weekends.

Richland County Board of Elections officials said Sundays have been their busiest days for voting in 2024. Board director Matt Finfgeld said they've in extra staff to accommodate the crowds.

“When we opened on Sunday at 1, there was a line that was all the way down the hallway out our main door, and that line was consistent for about 45 minutes,” Finfgeld said.

But he said despite wait times, many voters have made the most of the extended early voting period.

“It's a big election on everyone's mind,” Finfgeld said. “There's been a lot of advertising for the election. And I think, you know, the longer that early votes around, the more people find that it's nice to have... four weeks to decide what day works for you and what time we have extended hours.”

If you plan to vote in person, the Board of Elections reminds you to bring an acceptable form of ID. If you're dropping off a ballot for someone else, they must either be a family member or someone with a disability for whom you're acting as an agent.

The final day of early in-person voting is Sunday.

Polls are open on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.