BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio — In-person voting has grown in Butler County over the past several election seasons, and this year’s gubernatorial election has rivaled some of the higher-turnout presidential elections.
Statewide, a third more people have voted early at their local board of elections this year than in 2018, according to the Ohio Secretary of State.
Because more people are voting ahead of Election Day, there were lines, but county election officials said no one really had to wait more than 20 minutes.
Elections are often compared to similar elections, but this year’s gubernatorial election is rivaling past presidential elections, which tend to have the highest turnouts in any election cycle. Early in-person voting has exceeded 2012 in-person early voting (21,379) and wasn’t far off from 2016′s totals (28,890).
In-person early voting has been increasing in popularity in gubernatorial election years. More than 22,000 people voted at the Butler County Board of Elections office in the four weeks before Election Day, which is well over 3,000 more than voted early four years ago in 2018. It’s more than four times as many early voters in 2014.
It’s anticipated this gubernatorial election year, also known as midterms, will be around 55% to 60%. Four years ago, turnout was just under 55% in Butler County.
Fred Eck, of Liberty Twp., was one of the Republican Party’s observers for 2022 in-person voting, the first time he was an observer. Today, he will be a poll worker in his third election. He was impressed by how election workers handled the heavy turnout.
“It’s been interesting to see how efficient the poll workers are helping people, getting things resolved,” he said. “This is kind of neat to see how the system works. It helps me as a poll worker.”
The political parties have been rallying their bases to help get people to the polls, not only on Election Day, but during the early voting process, either by encouraging them to request a vote-by-mail ballot or go to the election office.
Republicans and Democrats have been campaigning outside the board of elections office―at the 100-foot mark as required by election laws―as well as canvassing neighborhoods and posting campaign signs around the county.
“We have a great team that has been working hard the last few weeks,” said Republican GOP Executive Chairman Todd Hall. “Butler County is ready to ride the impending red tidal wave.”
Democratic Executive Chairwoman Kathy Wynandt said they, too, have mobilized volunteers across Butler County.
“People are very fired up,” she said. “We’ve been knocking down the doors, everywhere we can be, talking to voters. I really do think there’s a lot of enthusiasm.”
Butler County elections Director Nicole Unzicker urges people who have requested vote-by-mail ballots that were not mailed by Monday must be hand-delivered to the county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. Election Day, 1802 Princeton Road in Hamilton. Any vote-by-mail ballot delivered to polling locations will not be counted as per state election laws.
READ MORE
Ohio's 2022 midterm election: When to vote, who's running and what to know
Kentucky's 2022 midterm election: Places to vote near me
Indiana 2022 midterm election: Where to vote, who's on the ballot (wcpo.com)
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