Clark County Board of Elections early voting hours:
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday until May 3
8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 4
For more information the May 7 special election visit the Clark County Board of Elections website: www.electionsonthe.net/oh/clark/.
Champaign County Board of Election early voting hours:
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, April 8
8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 4
For more information visit the Champaign County Board of Elections website: www.electionsonthe.net/oh/champaign/
The Springfield News-Sun offers indepth coverage of elections, following issues in both special and general elections.
Early voting kicked off this week, but board of elections officials don’t expect many people to cast their ballots before the May 7 special election.
Only two Champaign County voters and 35 Clark County voters cast an absentee ballots when early voting began on Tuesday, board of elections officials said.
Clark County Board of Elections Director Matthew Tlachac said said he’s not expecting to see large numbers before early voting ends on Saturday, May 4.
“We’re anticipating that turnout is not going to be high,” he said.
Clark County currently has nearly eligible 91,500 voters, and Tlachac projects only 1,500 to 3,000 of them will vote absentee for the upcoming election.
Overall voter turnout will likely be about 20 to 30 percent, Tlachac said, based on the low turnout during the May 2011 election in which only 17 percent of voters cast ballots.
Voters can vote early in Clark County from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday until May 3 at the board of elections office at 3130 E Main St. in Springfield. The office will be open to voters from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 4.
Champaign County, with more than 27,000 eligible voters, had only 12 voters request an absentee ballot by mail and had just two voters cast an absentee ballot as of Wednesday afternoon.
Director Kathy A. Meyer said she expects overall voter turnout to be less than 20 percent.
“I don’t predict a high turnout either way. We’ve got three township issues and two school issues. If we hit 20 percent, I’ll be shocked,” Meyer said.
Champaign County voters can cast an absentee ballot at the board of elections office from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office at 1512 S. U.S. Highway 68, Suite L-100 in Urbana will be open until 9 p.m. on April 8, which is the last day voters can register to vote.
The Champaign County office will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 4.
For more information the May 7 special election visit the Clark County Board of Elections website: www.electionsonthe.net/oh/clark/.
Champaign County voters can get more information about the special election on the Champaign County Board of Elections website: www.electionsonthe.net/oh/champaign/.
About the Author