In general, county election officials expect better turnout than in the spring 2021 primaries, but not approaching the historic totals seen in the November 2020 general election. And voters’ liking for mail-in ballots or in-person early voting, driven initially by COVID-19 restrictions, seems likely to continue.
No changes are expected to in-person voting procedures: face masks aren’t mandated, but are generally suggested and will often be available. Other COVID-19 precautions will remain in place.
Butler County ballots will all include a tax levy for county MetroParks, said Board of Elections Deputy Director Eric Corbin. Some will have city council races and others will have contentious school board races, he said.
“It is an odd year, so unfortunately we are expecting a lower turnout,” Corbin said. On the first day of early voting, however, he still expects to see people waiting in the parking lot when the elections office and polling location opens, he said.
COVID-19 safety protocols similar to last year will remain in place, Corbin said. There is no mask mandate now, but election officials will still keep wide spaces between voting machines and direct traffic to flow one way through the office, he said.
The 2020 general election, which saw 73.1% turnout, had 61% of voters cast ballots early, Corbin said. Those were almost evenly split between in-person and mail-in voting.
But the off-year election in 2019 had only 19.1% turnout, he said.
“That’s definitely the lowest we’ve seen in a while,” Corbin said.
In Warren County turnout was low in the May 2021 special election, with only 64 of 174 precincts open, Board of Elections Director Brian Sleeth said. But in November 2020 the county saw an 81.8% turnout. More people voted by mail – 49,572 – than on Election Day itself, when 44,652 cast ballots, he said. Another 41,579 voted early in person.
This time, however, is likely to resemble other off-years like 2017 and 2019, Sleeth said. He expects turnout of 30% or less.
“Generally this is a very low turnout election. Always has been,” Sleeth said. It took statewide issues on the ballot in 2017 to pump turnout to 30% then, he said.
This time there are two county-wide issues, all local offices in townships and city councils, levies for mental health and senior services, a levy in Franklin Township and a charter amendment in Mason, Sleeth said. Finally, there are quite a few local liquor options up for a vote, he said.
How to vote early
All in-person early voting will take place at each county’s board of elections office. Early voting will be open the same hours statewide:
· 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, until Oct. 22, except for Oct. 11, Columbus Day;
· 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Oct. 25 to Oct. 29;
· 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30;
· 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31; and
· 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1.
Nov. 1 is also the deadline for mail-in absentee ballots. They may be returned in person to your local board of elections office until 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2.
Monday is the deadline for registering to vote in the Nov. 2 election.
Information on absentee ballots and all other voting questions can be found at the Ohio secretary of state’s elections webpage, www.ohiosos.gov/elections, or from each county’s board of elections.
Butler County
Board of elections: 802 Princeton Road, Hamilton
Phone: 513-887-3700
Website: www.elections.bcohio.gov
Warren County
Board of elections: 520 Justice Drive, Lebanon
Phone: 513-695-1358
Website: www.vote.warrencountyohio.gov
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