Voter turnout in odd-numbered years typically is very low, though expectations for this election are much higher.

That’s because of two statewide issues on the ballot. You’re unlikely to find many issues that attract voter interest more than these two: abortion rights and the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Still, it shouldn’t take having the two statewide issues on the ballot to get people to vote in elections, particularly as important as local ones.

Having abortion rights and the legalization of recreational marijuana on the same ballot has Tom McCabe, director of the Mahoning County Board of Elections, expecting the turnout percentage in his county to be in the low 40s.

Stephanie Penrose, director of the Trumbull County Board of Elections, says turnout in her county to reach 50% or more.

The two were somewhat conservative in their predictions for the Aug. 8 special election which had a single issue on the ballot. That proposal, which failed statewide and in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, would have raised the threshold to pass constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%. That issue was designed to make it harder to get approval for the abortion rights amendment on this ballot, several of its supporters and opponents said.

McCabe had predicted Mahoning’s turnout to be 25% for the Aug. 8 election while Penrose expected 30% turnout in Trumbull.

The final turnout percentages were 36.15 in Mahoning and 37.44 in Trumbull.

Early voting for the Nov. 7 election just started Wednesday, but requests for ballots by mail as well as those voting in person aren’t at the same levels as the Aug. 8 election.

It’s still very early in the process so a lot can change.

Republicans, who don’t traditionally vote early as often as Democrats, are pushing that voting option now. But it’s hard to break some people of habits particularly when Donald Trump, the former president and likely 2024 GOP presidential nominee, has been critical of early voting.

Democrats have embraced early voting, which is why you often see that political party’s candidates with leads when the initial results come out and drop as those who voted on Election Day are included in the tally.

If McCabe and Penrose are even close to their predicted percentages — and both told me those figures could change if early voting trends don’t turn out as expected — this will be the best odd-numbered general election for both counties, and the state, since 2015.

In that election, turnout in Mahoning was 44.21% while it was 47.32% in Trumbull. It was 43.24% statewide.

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 give 10 facilities exclusive commercial rights to grow it. The first two amendments passed. The marijuana issue failed.

Even if the predicted turnout for this election doesn’t materialize, this will still be good in comparison.

In 2021, turnout in Mahoning County was 25.07% and 22.37% in Trumbull County. It was better in 2019, but still not very good: 26.63% in Mahoning and 30.25% in Trumbull.

There wasn’t a statewide issue on the ballot in 2019 or 2021.

While not discounting the importance of the two statewide issues on this ballot, it’s unfortunate that it takes them to get people to vote in these elections.

The local issues and candidates in odd year elections impact people’s lives on a more consistent basis than anything else.

“These elections are important,” McCabe said. “These are your school boards and trustees and councils. It affects your taxes and quality of life locally.”

There are elections in communities that have only uncontested races and no tax issues. Not voting in those cases is legitimate though it’s an infrequent occurrence. It’s also sad that there are a number of uncontested races and even worse in communities that don’t have enough candidates to fill the available positions up for election.

Penrose often tells me that roads getting paved and other improvements in communities as well as the property taxes people pay and the education provided to children are determined by local races. Most people leave those important decisions to a small group who vote.