On a gloomy primary election day in central Ohio, predictions of low voter turnout seem to be holding true.
As of 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, poll worker Thomas Schroeder had only seen a few dozen people at Broad Street United Methodist Church.
"It's about 25 out of 3,770 registered voters for this location,” Schroeder said.
Ryen August of downtown Columbus was one of the voters Schroeder had seen. Though, August almost didn’t make it to the polls.
"I actually didn't know this was coming up until a coworker told me about it like four days ago,” August admitted.
The Franklin County Board of Elections expected about 6% to 8% of the county’s registered voters to turn out Tuesday.
Board of elections spokesman Aaron Sellers noted that it’s an off-year primary election following the big presidential election last November.
“There's just not a lot on the ballot. You don't hear a lot about it on TV like you did, the commercials last year for issues,” Sellers said.
Sellers voted early at the board of elections and had just one issue on his ballot: Issue 2, the statewide bond issue. He said there are levies in several central Ohio communities and races in Columbus, Hilliard and Whitehall.
Back at Broad Street United Methodist Church, August’s ballot had two contested races, Columbus City Council and Columbus School Board, plus the statewide bond issue.
August said that the crowded, 10-candidate school board race brought him to the polls. He and his partner researched the candidates to choose which three candidates to choose. The six top vote-getters will appear on the November ballot.
"I work at a library, we kind of go hand in hand with a lot of schools. We see a lot (how) kids who are influenced directly by their school,” August said. “And I just think that schools should have more fairness and diversity in them.”
He also was glad to cast a vote in the city council race.
“I mean, we’re in our city. So, I want someone cool,” August said.
Voting at Columbus Preparatory School for Girls in Columbus’ Olde Towne East neighborhood, Jim Arter said he believes voting is the foundation of democracy. He said he hoped everyone would choose to exercise their right to vote.
“I think now's the time we can't worry about is it big or how much and more and more and all that sort of thing. Everything in life, really, it's one little thing at a time done with great love and service,” Arter said.
