The COVID-19 pandemic, no competitive presidential races and a virtually all-mail primary have greatly lowered expected turnouts for this week’s election.

Before the primary was postponed from March 17 to Tuesday, Thomas McCabe, deputy director of the Mahoning County Board of Elections, expected a poor turnout there — 30 to 35 percent — with Stephanie Penrose, director of the Trumbull County Board of Elections predicting 45 to 50 percent in that county.

They both decreased their expectations based on ballots being requested and returned to the boards of elections and the changing circumstances of this primary.

McCabe now expects turnout at only 20 to 25 percent in Mahoning while Penrose said it will be about 35 percent in Trumbull.

“It’s not going to be a good turnout because there’s only one Democratic presidential candidate and the mail-in vote,” Penrose said. “People who would have gone to the polls won’t do the mail-in process.”

McCabe added: “This is a new process, and I don’t think everyone understands it.”

In presidential years, the race at the top of the ticket drives turnout, Penrose and McCabe said.

On the Republican side, President Donald Trump is the only candidate on the ballot.

For Democrats, every candidate on the ballot except former Vice President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the race.

“The presidential race has been decided and the level of interest is low because that drives turnout,” McCabe said.

Penrose said: “Now that it’s locked up several people don’t feel the need to vote. The presidential race drives turnout.”

Mahoning’s turnout in the 2016 presidential primary was 47.19 percent when there were competitive presidential primaries for both major political parties, but 29.62 percent in 2012 — the lowest it’s been in recent memory — because then-President Barack Obama ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and six Repub-lican presidential

candidates were on the ballot.

Trumbull’s turnout in the 2016 primary was 44.87 percent in 2016 and 24.74 percent in 2012.

PANDEMIC

At the request of Gov. Mike DeWine, Dr. Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of Health, canceled the March 17 in-person primary late the night before it was to be held because of the COVID-19 pandemic. DeWine and Secretary of State Frank LaRose called for a June 2 primary with mail voting extended and plans for in-person voting that day.

But the state Legislature said that date was too late and voted for a bill with a Tuesday primary with in-person voting limited to only those with qualifying disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the homeless. Election officials don’t expect more than a handful of people to vote in-person.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot was Saturday.

Completed ballots must be postmarked by Monday and arrive by mail no later than May 8 or can be dropped off at boxes outside county boards of elections no later than 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to be counted.

CONFUSION

There was a lot of confusion about the process, McCabe said.

“People would ask for an application and then they would call back and say, ‘Where is my ballot?” he said. “We have to send the application first and after getting it back, we sent out the ballot. Voters weren’t getting that.”

Trumbull County has several contested races for Democratic and Republican nominations as well as 10 tax levies — including requests for additional money by the Eagle Joint Fire District in Hubbard and the Liberty and Southington school districts — as well as three liquor options.

The contested Democratic primaries are: county Commissioner Dan Polivka being challenged by David M. Guarino and Carl F. Clemens III; county Engineer Randy Smith facing David DeChristofaro, the former engineer; and state Rep. Gil Blair of Weathersfield in the Ohio House 63rd District going against Niles Councilman-at-Large Barry Profato and Werner Lange.

On the Republican side, Niki Frenchko and Rex Fee are facing off for the nomination to a county commissioner seat; Sandra O’Brien and Kenneth J. Polke are running to face state Sen. Sean J. O’Brien, D-Bazetta, in the Ohio Senate 32nd District; and Melissa M. Pope, the 32nd District State Central Committeewoman, being challenged by Kathi Creed.

Also, seven Republicans are vying for the party’s nomination for the 13th Congressional District and U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge Township, being challenged for the 14th Congressional District by Mark Pitrone.

In Mahoning County, the only contested primary races are for the Republican nominees for the 13th and 6th congressional districts. The latter pits U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, against Kenneth Morgan.

There are tax renewals for Austintown, Beaver and the Poland school district, a gas aggregation issue in Sebring and three local liquor options.

No contested races for Democrats are on the ballot.

“With no county races, the presidential candidates being decided and little on the ballot, the level of interest is low,” McCabe said.

dskolnick@tribtoday.com