Election directors in Mahoning and Trumbull counties expect strong turnout for the upcoming election driven by two statewide issues: abortion rights and the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Early voting begins Wednesday.

Stephanie Penrose, director of the Trumbull County Board of Elections, predicts turnout of 50% or greater in her county while Tom McCabe, director of the Mahoning County Board of Elections, expects the turnout percentage in his county to get into the low 40s.

“We have the two polarizing issues that will bring people out that don’t normally come out to vote in odd years,” Penrose said of the two state issues. “It’s going to be pretty crazy. Those issues will drive turnout more than anything else.”

McCabe said: “Turnout will be largely driven by Issue 1 and Issue 2, but especially 1 (abortion rights) though both will bring people out to vote. They’re going to be well publicized and we’re expecting a very healthy turnout.”

Turnout during odd numbered elections in the area — and across the state — is typically poor.

In 2021, turnout in Mahoning County was 25.07% and 22.37% in Trumbull County. It was slightly better in 2019 at 26.63% in Mahoning and 30.25% in Trumbull.

It was higher in the recent Aug. 8 election that failed to raise the threshold for passage of constitutional amendments than most odd year general elections. In Trumbull, turnout for the August election was 37.44% while it was 36.15% in Mahoning.

If the predictions of Penrose and McCabe are correct, this upcoming election would be the strongest turnout for an odd numbered year in the two counties since 2015. In that election, turnout in Mahoning was 44.21% while it was 47.32% in Trumbull.

There were three statewide constitutional amendments on the 2015 ballot: changing the state legislative redistricting policy, making it more difficult to create monopolies through initiatives and the first attempt to legalize recreational marijuana and giving 10 facilities exclusive commercial rights to grow it. The first two amendments passed while the marijuana one failed.

The abortion proposal on the Nov. 7 ballot is a constitutional amendment that reads in part: “Every individual has a right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to decisions on conception, fertility treatment, continuing one’s own pregnancy, miscarriage care and abortion.”

The legalization of recreational marijuana is an initiative statute that would permit those that are 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.

Without the two statewide issues, turnout for this election likely would have been about the same as 2019 and 2021, McCabe and Penrose said.

“There are some interesting issues such as two income tax requests and 17 charter amendments in Newton Falls and trustee races in Liberty and Howland, where we usually see good turnout,” Penrose said.

There is also interest in school bond issues in the Poland and Canfield districts as well as other new tax levies and four candidates running for Austintown trustee, McCabe said.

“But it would be regular voters who come out every year,” he said. “Over 25 years, when I see there’s a contested trustee race, it attracts turnout, but it’s the same voters who come out to vote. The determining factors this time will be those two (statewide) issues.”

EARLY VOTING

A state voting law eliminated early voting on the day before the primary. The six hours lost on that day were added to days during the final full week of early voting.

Early in-person voting is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Friday.

It is also 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 16 to 20 and October 23 to 27.

It is 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 31, and 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 to 3.

Early voting on Nov. 4, the Saturday before the Nov. 7 election, is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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

The Trumbull office is at 2947 Youngstown Road SE, Warren.

The Mahoning office is at Oakhill Renaissance Place, 345 Oak Hill Ave., Youngstown.

Polling locations are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7.

“We are expecting early voting to be busy,” McCabe said. “We expected it to be busy in August and we expect it to be busier for this election.”

Penrose said: “Early voting will be pretty strong. We were steadily busy all the time for the August election and this will be an even bigger election.”

NEW VOTING LAWS

Photo identification is needed to vote early in-person or on Election Day.

Forms of ID that were acceptable in past elections that are no longer valid include bank statements, utility bills, pay stubs, government checks or the last four digits of a person’s Social Security number.

To vote, a person needs one of the following: a driver’s license, a state ID card, a passport, a passport card or a military ID.

But those who request absentee ballots by mail can use either their driver’s license ID number or the last four digits of their Social Security number to vote.

Also, requests for absentee ballots must be received by board of elections seven days before an election compared to the old law, which allowed requests to be made three days prior.

Those mailing back absentee ballots still have to have them postmarked by the Monday before the election, but they have to arrive no later than four days after the election. The old law was 10 days.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE

County election boards in Ohio will remain open until 9 p.m. Tuesday to allow people to register to vote in the upcoming election if they aren’t already registered voters. It’s the final day to do so.

To register in person, you need either your driver’s license number or state ID and the last four digit of your Social Security number.

People can also register online at voteohio.gov, the Ohio secretary of state’s website, by 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Dates to know

Tuesday: Deadline to register to vote in general election

Wednesday: Early in-person and absentee voting begins

Oct. 31: Deadline to request an absentee ballot

Nov. 7: Election Day