Ohio: Early voting turnout doubles at Fairfield County polls

[RandySF]

LANCASTER - If residents plan to vote early, they should also plan to wait in line.

The 2016 presidential election is drawing hundreds of voters to vote early and absentee this election cycle. Voter turnout at the Fairfield County Board of Elections office, 951 Liberty Drive, has seen twice as many early voters compared to previous presidential election years. Early voting started Wednesday and more than 600 people have already been there to vote by the end of day Thursday.

"Those are pretty good numbers," said Board of Elections Director Susan Bloom.

When polls opened Wednesday, Bloom said people already were waiting in line starting at 7 a.m. that morning.

The number of absentee ballots has also increased, with Bloom saying Friday that more than 18,200 absentee ballots have been mailed.

"We're about 3,000 (absentee ballots) ahead at this point in time compared to four years ago," Bloom said.

While lines are moving steadily, Bloom said early voters should expect to wait, especially if voting the weekend before the election. The board of elections office hours will vary until Nov. 8. Additional hours have been added on Saturdays and Sundays for early voting, along with extended hours throughout the week.


http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/story/news/local/2016/10/15/early-voting-turnout-doubles-polls/92060098/

[Renew Deal]

1. Romney won this county 57-41

[mercuryblues]

2. Hillary

pushes early voting. Trump tells his followers to vote Nov. 28th.

What early voting also accomplishes is that if someone has a problem voting, there is time to clear it up.

[LisaL]

3. Republican county.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Very GOP county.

[LisaL]

6. Yes.

And I believe Cuyahoga (heavily democratic county) was down in early voting? So not exactly good news.

[geek tragedy]

5. Early voting is going much better in NC and FL

Ohio not looking good, Fairfieldos major Trumperterritory.

[LisaL]

7. I think previous data suggest that increase in early voting doesn't actually lead to increased

total voter turnout. So some people just vote early instead of an election day, but in the end the same number of people have voted. So not sure that it means total turnout is going to be higher than in 2012.

[geek tragedy]

8. There is some cannibalization but not 100%.

It is a proxy measure for enthusiasm and ground game. Clinton over performing Obama in FL and NC, underperforming in IA and OH. Trump over performing Romney in IA and OH, underperforming in NC and FL.

Reason is pretty simple--explicit white nationalist populism plays better in OH and IA than does Romney's country club Republicanism. Clinton more or less holding Obama coalition minus some uneducated whites and men while gaining educated whites and women.

[RBInMaine]

10. OH and IA Dems need to kick it into high gear GOTV like wildfire. Groundgame bigtime!

[Cakes488]

9. I have never waited in line at an election....I vote in Nassau county in NY on Long Island