Turnout Expected To Be Light In Tuesday Primary (Vote for Pierce -- It Matters!)

Channel 5 Cincinnati Web Site ^ | May 2, 2006 | Channel 5 Cincinnati

[litany_of_lies]

Turnout Expected To Be Light In Tuesday Primary

CINCINNATI -- Ohioans wanting to vote in primaries for governor, Congress and other offices have until 7:30 p.m. to go to the polls.

Rain seems to be dampening voter turnout in parts of the state, but one poll judge in the Cincinnati area thinks nasty campaigning in some races also has been a turn-off.

Don Zaidel said as many as 40 people would be standing at the door on a good election day when he opens the polling place in suburban West Chester, but today there were just four.

He said some voters complained about receiving as many as five recorded campaign calls from local candidates every night.

Only 25 percent of the state's voters were expected to head to the polls Tuesday.

[litany_of_lies]

In Case You Don't Think Your Vote Matters --

Why You Shouldn't Stay Home

Registered voters in Ohio (near end at link): about 7.7 million

Predicted turnout: 25%

Estimated total votes: 1.93 million

Mike DeWine's Vote Total in 1994's contested Senate primary (rounded): 422,000 (52% of the vote; other challengers -- Bernadine Healy-264,000; George H. Rhodes-43,000; Gene J. Watts-83,000; Total votes-812,000)

Total US Senate votes cast in 1998 GOP Primary (rounded): 752,000 (544,000 for George Voinovich; 208,000 for his challenger)

My topline estimates:

• Voters using Republican ballot: 1 million (based on relative number of strongly contested races compared to Democrats, you would expect more than 50% of voters to vote in the Republican primary)
• Ballots in the GOP US Senate race: 850,000 (many who do not know enough about DeWine's challengers will vote for no one)
• Predicted Vote Total of 2006 GOP Senate Primary Winner: 360,000

Pierce for Senate!

[Bosco]

I voted for Pierce this morning in Columbus.

[litany_of_lies]

Thanks. Get a friend, or even an enemy, out to vote for Pierce too. :-->

[Alia]

I voted in NC primaries!

[GreenAccord]

I voted for Pierce this morning in Columbus.

As did I. Would you believe that all 6 of the precinct's voting machines were full with voters (once I filled the 6th position) at 7:20 AM?

It also took about 20 seconds for the poll worker to 'set up' my ballot machine with a blank ballot. I asked her if it would take that long come November. I waited 90 minutes to vote in 2004. Add 20 seconds for each voter, and we'll all finish voting around 2 AM the next day. (She offered no response.)

[litany_of_lies]

Good deal. There's only 84 minutes left to get someone else out for Pierce.