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Ohio absentee voting opens at Job Center to prevent long lines, waits on Election Day
By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Wednesday, Oct 01, 2008
Brenda Robinson waited in a long line outside the Summit County elections board to cast her absentee ballot before the March primary.
Tuesday morning, she waited only 15 minutes to vote in the November general election inside the Job Center, Summit County's new early voting site.
''It's much easier and nicer to not have to stand in long lines,'' said Robinson, of Akron, who wore an ''I Voted'' sticker. ''It's a great idea — very convenient for me.''
Robinson was among about 640 people who voted at the Job Center Tuesday — the first day for absentee voting in Ohio. The early voting period will last through Nov. 3 — the day before the election — with people able to cast their ballots either in person or by mail.
Summit is one of only five counties in the state offering a site other than the elections board for early voting. The hope is that this will prevent the long lines and waits that boards had before the March 4 primary and will make Election Day run smoother.
This is the first presidential election year when Ohioans can vote absentee without a special reason.
Several voters lined up outside the Job Center, 1040 E. Tall
madge Ave., at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday — a half hour before the site opened. (Voting will be offered there from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.)
Early crowd large
The early crowd at the center was so large that the elections board brought in four more employees from the board's Grant Street office.
Several people both registered for the first time and voted — taking advantage of an overlap between early voting and the registration deadline that was the subject of several lawsuits. The deadline for registering to vote is Oct. 6.
The only glitch was an early problem with the voting center's Internet service that was handled by switching to a back-up Web provider.
Job Center only site
Some people got confused about where they needed to go to vote. Absentee voting can only be done at the Job Center — not at the board's 470 Grant St. office. Voters can still get absentee applications or drop off completed ballots at the board office.
Ron Bowers went to his normal polling location at the Akron Baptist Temple and then to the board's Grant Street office, where employees gave him a map and directions to the Job Center.
After he finally turned in his ballot, he was so happy that he put an ''I Voted'' sticker on his forehead.
''I heard about it on the news but I did not know what to do or where to go,'' said Bowers, 65.
Bert Powers, 32, of Akron, said he wanted to ''vote early just to get it done.'' He called the 2004 presidential election ''ridiculous.''
Powers said the country might have had a different president for the past four years had it not been for Ohio's long lines and the wait at the polls.
''Polling locations only stay open for a certain amount of time,'' he said.
Powers, who is volunteering with the Obama campaign, said he will urge others to vote early.
Politicking limited
Some are using the Job Center site to try to further their agendas. This politicking must be done at least 100 feet from the voting site, a barrier marked with posts holding American flags.
On a hill beyond this marker, several candidates' yard signs were posted. Officials with the Summit County Democratic Party handed out candidate literature and sample ballots.
Evelin Meyer, who works for a national voter advocacy group, stopped voters in the parking lot to see if they had any concerns. She said one voter told her he was asked to turn his Sen. Barack Obama T-shirt inside out when he voted because of a rule that voters can't advocate for candidates.
''You don't have to check your First Amendment right to free speech at the door when you're voting,'' said Meyer, who lives in Akron.
Political garb issue
Meyer said she thinks this rule would be difficult to enforce on Election Day, when many people likely will be wearing candidate T-shirts or buttons.
The elections board is checking with the Secretary of State's office about how to respond to voters wearing political garb. Donofrio said voters will not be turned away.
Several events are being held in the Akron-Canton area to encourage early voting.
Obama's campaign had an early vote campus kickoff Tuesday at Kent State University that included free food and music.
Campaign volunteers also fanned out across the University of Akron campus, registering people to vote and telling them about absentee voting.
Rally today in Canton
The Stark County Democratic Party will hold an early voting rally at 11 a.m. today in the Kresge green space, between Third and Fourth Streets on Market Avenue in downtown Canton. Several Democratic elected officials and candidates are expected to attend.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com.
Brenda Robinson waited in a long line outside the Summit County elections board to cast her absentee ballot before the March primary.
Get the full article here.
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