Area counties saw high turnout reaching over 40% Greene County. Montgomery County does not report live turnout numbers.
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Update 7 p.m.:
A single-issue special election saw robust Election Day turnout throughout the region Tuesday.
Issue 1 — a controversial ballot measure that would make it more difficult for citizens to change the Ohio constitution — drew in droves of Election Day voters after heavy turnout during early voting.
Turnout exceeded 30% by late Tuesday afternoon in some area counties such as Clark, Butler and Greene that report turnout numbers live on Election Day. Montgomery County would not release turnout totals before polls closed Tuesday, but election officials on Monday projected a strong turnout of more than 20% or even 30%.
Russ Joseph, deputy director of the Montgomery County Board of Elections, said Tuesday that great weather and an intense interest in Issue 1 brought out large numbers of voters from the morning onward.
“There was a really strong turnout and voters in Montgomery County wanted to have their voices heard,” said Joseph.
Polls opened at 6:30 a.m. at hundreds of locations across the region. Gloria Payne, 79, was among voters in the morning crowd at the Southview Children and Family Center polling location on Thorpe Drive in Dayton.
She recalled hearing from her mother about a time where not every citizen could vote, and when they could, they were levied with poll taxes.
Although Payne votes in every election, she said the Aug. 8 special election drew her to the polls specifically because she did not like the “last-minute” nature of Issue 1.
“I don’t like the whole thing,” she said.
Issue 1 would raise the threshold on all future constitutional amendments to pass to 60%, if passed. The current threshold is a simple majority.
Issue 1 would also require citizen-initiated amendments to reach signature-gathering quotas from all 88 Ohio counties. Currently signatures are required from 44 counties.
In addition, Issue 1 would remove the cure period, which allows petitioners 10 days to gather more signatures in the event that the Secretary of State finds that a petition fell below the necessary quota after signatures were verified.
At a Phillipsburg polling location Tuesday, longtime voter and Republican Ron Condon expressed concern about the proposals.
“I don’t want it to be more difficult to get things done,” he said. “It’s already hard enough as is.”
Issue 1 precedes the Nov. 7 election, which is expected to feature an abortion-rights amendment.
Southview Children and Family Center voter Sherry Hamman said she thinks Issue 1 isn’t about abortion. She said she felt a lot of misinformation was spread around the issue, and she hoped people voting on Election Day read the ballot measure language before making a decision.
The Dayton resident said she thought of voting as neither a privilege nor a right — “It’s my duty,” she said.
“It means a lot to me,” she said. “And I want people to think for themselves.”
Original story:
Election Day turnout in Montgomery County has seen a robust start as people flowed to their polling locations Tuesday morning.
Polls opened in Ohio at 6:30 a.m. today as voters consider Issue 1 and how the state can amend its constitution.
Voters have until 7:30 p.m. to cast their ballot. To check your registration and polling place, visit https://voterlookup.ohiosos.gov/voterlookup.aspx. Voters must have a valid photo I.D. to vote following Ohio’s new voter I.D. laws.
The Dayton Daily News wants to know what area voters are experiencing at the polls on Election Day. If you have any issues voting or see an issue at a polling place, contact our Breaking News Team at 937-610-7502 or email ddnnews@coxinc.com.
Tuesday saw a busy start at Southview Children and Family Center on Thorpe Drive in Dayton, where a crowd of voters came in steady stream to cast a ballot.
That polling location, which includes three precincts, saw dozens of voters before 8:30 a.m.
Gloria Payne, 79, was among voters in the morning crowd at the Thorpe Drive polling location.
She recalled hearing from her mother about a time where not every citizen could vote, but when they could, they were levied with poll taxes.
She couldn’t recall what issue brought her mother to the polls, but she does remember helping her mother read about it before making a decision. Her mother was apprehensive before Election Day, but her father assured her that her vote mattered.
“He told her, ‘What if the thing we want to pass loses by one vote?’” she said. “So she voted. And the thing they voted on passed by one vote.”
Although Payne votes in every election, she said the Aug. 8 special election drew her to the polls specifically because she did not like the “last-minute” nature of Issue 1.
“I don’t like the whole thing,” she said.
Issue 1 looks at how Ohio can amend its constitution, if passed, the state will require 60% of the vote to amend the constitution. Currently, Ohio requires a simple majority.
It would also change the threshold citizen-initiated petitions need to get on the ballot. Petitions will need to receive signatures from 5% of the voters in all 88 counties as opposed to the current 44 counties.
Finally, Issue 1 would eliminate the 10-day cure period petitioners have to collect more signatures after filing with the Ohio Secretary of State. If petitioners fall short, they would have to start over instead of having 10 days to get the additional signatures.
Issue 1 precedes the Nov. 7 election, which is expected to feature an abortion-rights amendment.
Southview Children and Family Center voter Sherry Hamman said she thinks the ballot measure itself isn’t about abortion, however.
She said she felt a lot of misinformation was spread around the issue, and she encouraged people voting on Election Day to read the ballot measure language before making a decision.
The Dayton resident said she thought voting was neither a privilege nor a right, but a duty.
“It means a lot to me,” she said. “And I want people to think for themselves.”
Polls will close at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Election Day voting reminders
All voters casting a ballot in-person need a state-issued photo ID — like a driver’s license or state ID card.
Voters who do not have an ID can vote provisionally. This process has a four-day cure period to prove identification with a photo ID.
Drop boxes at election board offices can be used by voters until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Election Day voters should also double-check their polling locations on the election board’s website. Voters cannot cast a ballot at their local election board office on Tuesday.
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