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Voters can go to new center as officials work to reduce long lines on Election Day
By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Tuesday, Sep 30, 2008
The signs are hung. The computers are hooked up. The voting booths are lit.
All that's needed are a few thousand voters.
Absentee voting starts today, and Summit County residents — for the first time — can go to a new voting center to cast their ballots.
Summit is one of only five counties across Ohio that will offer absentee voting at a site other than the county elections board. The hope is that these new, larger locations will cut down on the long lines, lengthy waits and parking problems that crippled many elections boards in the days before the March 4 primary. The goal also is to make Election Day run more smoothly than in 2004.
''So much is unknown,'' said Marijean Donofrio, director of Summit County's elections board. ''It will be trial by error. Hopefully not error.''
This is the first presidential election year in which people can vote absentee without an excuse, such as being out of town on Election Day. The change greatly boosted the number of absentee voters in the primary — and even more are expected to take advantage of the convenience this fall, when it is estimated that a third of the state will vote early.
In the Akron-Canton area, more than 60,000 people have applied to vote early — and the absentee period is just starting.
The early voting changes have sparked controversy and partisan wrangling, including a Republican lawsuit challenging an overlap between the start of absentee voting in Ohio and the registration deadline on Oct. 6. The Ohio Supreme Court sided with Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in a decision released Monday, saying voters can register to vote and cast an absentee ballot during this time period.
The thinking among some is that Democrats are more likely to vote early, giving them a leg up in the fierce battle for Ohio.
But both presidential campaigns plan to try to capitalize on the change, urging people to vote now.
The Job Center
In Summit County, elections board members considered many different sites for absentee voting, including a local car dealership and the Akron Zoo.
They ultimately decided on the Job Center, a county building at 1040 E. Tallmadge Ave. that had 40,000 available square feet of warehouse space.
The price was right — free — especially considering that the board and county are strapped for cash.
Elections board employees have transformed the open space into a voting center, mainly using equipment and furniture already on hand.
Voters will be ushered through the facility in a clockwise pattern — filling out an application, having that information verified, voting, and then turning in their ballots.
The space can accommodate 500 voters at a time — far more than at the board's cramped Grant Street quarters. Voters had to wait as long as an hour and a half in March — with much of this time spent in line outside. The process is expected to be cut to 15 minutes at the Job Center.
''We've tripled our production speed,'' said Bryan Williams, the board's deputy director.
If the experiment goes well, the board might look for a permanent location to offer absentee voting. (The Job Center space is eventually expected to be rented.)
''I assume, if it is a success, we will be looking for off-site space — after what we went through with the primary,'' Donofrio said.
Other county efforts
Though Summit is the only local county offering a separate site for absentee voting, the other area elections boards also are taking steps.
The Stark County board enclosed part of its office for absentee voting. This secure area will alleviate the need for bringing ballots in and out of the vault, saving time.
Jeanette Mullane, the Stark board's director, asked that voters be patient when they come in to vote absentee. She said the data- entry process takes time.
''It's not like they will be in and out of McDonald's in less than five minutes,'' she said.
Mullane said budget constraints prevented the board from hiring a fleet of extra workers.
In Medina County, the board shares space with the health department and plans to make use of the department's conference room for early voting. The board also plans to offer extended hours — from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21, 23, 28 and 30, and 8 a.m. to noon Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.
The Wayne and Portage county boards also will offer longer hours. The Wayne board will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on the three Saturdays before the election, while the Portage board will be open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday until the election.
''We are not getting slammed like a lot of the counties,'' said Lois Enlow, the Portage board's deputy director.
Obama campaign
The presidential campaigns and other groups plan to push for early voting.
Sen. Barack Obama's campaign will send out a statewide mailing telling voters about absentee voting, including a new Web site — http://www.voteforchange.com — that tells people where and when they can vote. The campaign also has a toll free number — 877-OH-EARLY — that people can call for information.
''We plan to aggressively turn out our supporters to take advantage of early voting,'' said Isaac Baker, an Obama spokesman. ''We believe, if we can get a considerable number in the bank, on Election Day we can focus on a smaller universe of votes.''
The campaign will hold events to encourage absentee voting. Singer John Legend toured Ohio on Monday — with stops in Columbus, Springfield, Dayton and Cincinnati — urging early voting.
A major focus will be college campuses, where Obama has strong support. Kent State University and the University of Akron will be among those targeted.
The campaign will offer rides to voting sites for those who need them.
McCain campaign
Sen. John McCain's campaign also plans to emphasize early voting. The campaign sent out mailings with absentee applications and will focus on making sure people send them in or go in person to cast their early ballots, said Paul Lindsay, a McCain spokesman.
''It's given us the opportunity to target a lot of voters who previously were not inclined to vote on Election Day but are drawn to John McCain's message,'' Lindsay said.
Other groups also plan to encourage early voting.
The AFL-CIO will have a rally in Canton this morning to outline a final effort before the election that will emphasize absentee voting. This will include a door-to-door campaign, phone calls and direct mail to the union's 150,000 Ohio members.
''We want to make sure all union members know they can vote early — and this is the time to do it,'' said Ben Waxman, an AFL-CIO political director who is focusing on Ohio.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com.
The signs are hung. The computers are hooked up. The voting booths are lit.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 03:22 PM, 09/30/2008
Vote early and vote often.
Posted 12:30 AM, 10/01/2008
All hail Obama!!!
