Staff photo / R. Michael Semple . . . First-time voter Hunter Kanotz, 18, of Canfield, right, and his mother Karen Kanotz cast their votes during early voting on state Issue 1 at the Mahoning County Board of Elections in Youngstown. The Aug. 8 ballot issue to elevate the winning margin for constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60 percent is drawing considerable voter interest in the Mahoning Valley.

Early voter interest for the Aug. 8 special election has Mahoning Valley election directors expecting turnout to be on par with a typical general election in an odd-numbered year, or a nonpresidential primary.

“It’s pretty amazing for a special election,” Stephanie Penrose, Trumbull County Board of Elections director, said.

“It’s pacing like a general election. It’s even on pace with the gubernatorial primary last year. This has captured people’s interest.”

Only a single statewide issue is on the Aug. 8 ballot.

If Issue 1 is approved, future constitutional amendment proposals would need 60 percent support to pass rather than the current simple majority.

Also, if it’s passed, effective Jan. 1, 2024, proposed constitutional amendments would need at least 5 percent of those who voted in the last gubernatorial election from all of the state’s 88 counties to qualify for the ballot rather than the current 44-county minimum.

“There’s a lot of interest in this race,” Tom McCabe, Mahoning County Board of Elections director, said. “This is going to be better than most odd-year primaries and could potentially be close to what we get in primaries with governor races.”

McCabe, who also is chairman of the Mahoning County Republican Party, said the party can’t keep the yard signs at headquarters supporting Issue 1 in stock.

“I see more ‘no’ signs than ‘yes’ signs, so they are probably having the same issue,” he said. “Both sides are on TV, radio and direct mail. It’s going to be a busy election. There’s a lot of interest and a lot at stake.”

About 2,000 people in Mahoning County already have voted early in-person, and more than 2,500 others have requested mail ballots, McCabe said.

There have been almost 3,000 early in-person voters in Trumbull County, and close to 2,000 requested mail ballots, Penrose said.

“It’s a fairly polarizing issue,” she said. “August specials fly under the radar, but this one has both sides out there.”

Bryce Miner, Columbiana County Board of Elections director, said more than 500 people in his county have voted early in-person with about 750 requests for mail ballots.

“Any time you’re dealing with constitutional issues you generate a lot of interest,” he said. “A lot of people hold the Constitution near and dear to their heart.”

Statewide, 155,181 people either voted early or returned mail ballots as of Wednesday, the seventh day of early voting, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office. That is more than those who voted at the same time during the May 2022 primary with contested Democratic and Republican races for governor and U.S. senator.

Early voting started July 11 and saw an increase this past week in Columbiana and Trumbull. It declined a little in Mahoning in the second week, but remained strong, McCabe said.

“You’re seeing a grassroots effort on both sides,” McCabe said. “Both sides are pushing pretty hard.”

Penrose said: “We’re very steady. It has not let up, not at all. I can’t believe how busy we are in the office.”

The election board directors expect in-person voting to be very busy during the final week before the election.

Penrose predicts turnout in Trumbull to be 30 percent for the Aug. 8 election. McCabe expects 20 to 25 percent turnout in Mahoning, and Miner said turnout should be 20 to 30 percent in Columbiana.

“It will be similar to an odd-year general election when municipalities, school boards and townships are on the ballot,” Miner said. “The proponents and opponents are getting their message out.”

Early in-person voting hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.

It is 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. July 31, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 1, and 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 2 to 4.

Early voting on Aug. 5, the Saturday before the primary, is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

It is 1 to 5 p.m. Aug. 6, the Sunday before the primary.

NOVEMBER STATE ISSUES

Meanwhile, turnout for the Nov. 7 general election could be much higher than usual if two state issues — abortion rights and legalization of recreational marijuana — qualify for the ballot.

“We expect a big turnout in November if both get on the ballot,” McCabe said.

Boards of elections in the state’s 88 counties finished counting signatures for both proposals. It won’t be known for a few more days if the issues will make the ballot.

Those backing the abortion rights constitutional amendment submitted 709,786 signatures. It needs at least 413,487 to qualify for the Nov. 7 ballot. That means a little over 58 percent of the signatures submitted have to be validated.

In Mahoning, 74 percent were deemed valid by the elections board while it was 78 percent in Trumbull and 77 percent in Columbiana.

The ballot language reads: “Every individual has a right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to decisions on contraception, fertility treatment, continuing one’s own pregnancy, miscarriage care and abortion.

It adds: “Abortion may be prohibited after fetal viability. But in no case may such an abortion be prohibited if in the professional judgment of the pregnant patient’s treating physician it is necessary to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health.”

Fetal viability is usually around the 22nd to 24th week of pregnancy and was the Roe v. Wade standard before being overturned last year by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Supporters of a marijuana legalization initiative statute submitted 222,233 signatures for the Nov. 7 ballot. It needs 124,046 valid signatures to qualify, or almost 56 percent of what it submitted.

In Mahoning, 70 percent were determined to be valid while it was 65 percent in Trumbull and 64 percent in Columbiana.

The proposal would permit those at least 21 years old to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrates as well as allow them to grow up to six marijuana plants individually but no more than 12 in a household.

If the initiative is approved, the state Legislature has the ability to repeal or change it.