What you need to know about voting in Stark County: Election Day is here
Election Day is here.
Stark County residents are headed to polls today to vote on two major statewide social issues involving abortion and marijuana, along with deciding local races, and tax and liquor issues.
Two of the key races in Stark County involve mayoral contests. In Canton, Democrat William V. Sherer II and Republican Roy Scott DePew are competing for mayor. In Massillon incumbent Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry is being challenged by city Councilman Jamie Slutz for the city's top job.
Stark County voters also are deciding plenty of other races and tax issues, including school levies in the Lake Local, Louisville and North Canton districts.
Polls opened at 6:30 a.m. and will close at 7:30 p.m. sharp, unless extended by court order.
The Canton Repository will provide election updates throughout the day:
Canton voters explain their stances on statewide Issues 1 and 2
At Union Baptist Church at 413 Cornelia Ave. NE in Canton, the parking lot was nearly full by 9:30 a.m. as people cast their votes.
Haunted by the 10-year-old girl who was raped in Columbus, Laymon Carter Jr. said he voted for Issue 1.
"I believe it should be a self-decision," he said of abortion. "People like to talk about scripture, but Romans 3:23 said we've all fallen short of the glory of God."
Carter also supported William V. Sherer II for mayor, saying, "He's a hard-working guy. I think he'll be a hard-working mayor."
He also voted for Kirsten Guardado for judge.
"I think in this election, we need change," he said. "She's a fair person. I think she'll make a good judge."
Issue 2, Carter said, is a matter of individual rights.
"Legalization comes with safety measures," he said.
Angela Law said she voted against Issue 1, yes for Issue 2, yes for Sherer, but didn't cast any down-ballot votes.
Art Davis, who took advantage of the weather to ride his motorcycle, said he voted against Issue 1.
"I voted 'no' because I think there's too much hidden agenda; it's too mixed up," he explained.
He said he voted for the marijuana measure.
"I don't partake, but everybody's doing it," he said. "It's not a gateway drug."
Davis said he also voted for Roy Scott DePew for Canton mayor, but not for any of the other races, saying that as a single dad of a son with disability, he didn't have enough time to research the candidates.
Roderick Sumlin said he voted for Sherer and Issue 1.
"I don't think the government should have a say," he said of abortion. "It's gone too far."
Sumlin said he also voted for Issue 2.
"As a former smoker," he said with a laugh. "Some people actually need it, but some don't. I have nothing against it."
What's voter turnout in Stark County?
Voter turnout was steady Tuesday morning, said Regine Johnson deputy director of the Stark County Board of Elections.
She said the number of voters who chose to vote early at the Board of Elections or chose to vote by mail with an absentee ballot is higher for this election than for the special election in August, when almost 40% of registered voters cast ballots.
As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, 12% of the county’s registered voters had cast ballots at polling places, Johnson said. Another 6%, or 14,754, had voted early at the elections office.
Of 10,296 paper absentee ballots mailed, 85% had been returned as of Tuesday, Johnson said. The returned absentee ballots represent 3.6% of registered voters, and the total number of absentee ballots represents 4.2% of all the county’s registered voters.
Absentee ballots may still be delivered in person to the board’s office at 3525 Regent Ave. NE by 7:30 p.m. today. Absentee ballots postmarked by Monday, Nov. 6, will be counted if they arrive at the elections board office by Nov. 13, Johnson said.
Still more people were casting provisional ballots at the board office Tuesday, but only those voters whose registrations had not been updated with name and address changes. Others who tried to cast ballots were directed to return to their home precincts to vote. Employees were posted at the door to help them.
“Sometimes people think that because early voting took place here, that on Election Day they can also vote here … and they can’t,” Johnson said. “They have to go to their polling location. We have several people assigned to looking up their polling location for them.”
Johnson reported no glitches in the voting process.
As in every election, she said, some poll workers were unable to fulfill their assignments Tuesday due to family emergency or illness. They were replaced by 15 standby workers assembled in advance as back-ups.
Mom: 'We absolutely love it'
Ashley Laughlin voted shortly after 7 a.m. at Christ United Methodist Church in Louisville.
She said she voted for the Louisville School Schools' substitute levy to keep in place programs the district already has.
"We moved here from Malvern for the schools," said the 36-year-old nurse practitioner. "We absolutely love it. It's a good district. It's just been a lot more activities. Just the funding seems really good for these kids."
She said her children Henry, in sixth grade, and Mackenzie, in fifth grade, are enjoying their time in the district's schools. Henry plays football, wrestles and swims. Mackenzie swims and cheers.
She said the property tax will not raise her taxes, but will allow the district to receive additional property tax collections based on new construction.
Retired Canton firefighter: 'Myself and our daughter, our family, always vote.'
Michael Richmond voted shortly after 7 a.m. at Christ United Methodist Church, which is within view of his home in Louisville.
"Myself and our daughters, our family, always vote," said the 75-year-old retired Canton firefighter who still works part time for Design Restoration.
He and his daughters — Melissa Kegg of Nimishillen Township, Allison Richmond of Columbus and Abigail Roese of Chillicothe — have an Election Day tradition. They send each other photos of themselves wearing the stickers they received after voting.
'You get what you pay for'
Tim Aral arrived at Christ United Methodist Church in Louisville to vote at about 7 a.m.
The 63-year-old customer service worker said he voted in favor of the Louisville City Schools' 3.8-mill substitute property tax levy.
"I believe in the future," the Louisville resident said. "You get what you pay for. If you want a decent future, you have to pay for it."
Voting in Stark County: Here's our guide to the 2023 election in Stark County and Ohio Issue 1 and 2
How do I check my voter registration in Ohio and polling location?
Before you go vote, you should first confirm that you are registered and where your polling location is located.
To check your voter registration, visit the Ohio Secretary of State website's voter lookup page. From there, you can enter your name and county, and it will tell you whether you are registered to vote for the election.
The same page will also tell you where your polling location is and what district you reside in for voting, or you can use an interactive map available on the Secretary of State's website.
If you recently registered to vote for the upcoming election, you may have also received a letter in the mail with the same information.
What ID do I need to bring to vote in-person?
To vote, you need to provide valid identification, which includes one of the following:
Ohio driver's license.
State of Ohio ID card.
Interim ID form issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
A U.S. passport.
A U.S. passport card.
U.S. military ID card.
Ohio National Guard ID card.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card.
All photo identification must have the following:
An expiration date that has not passed.
A photo of the voter.
The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to their name as it appears in the poll list or in the poll book.
What do I need to know in line?
Instructions for marking and casting your ballot are posted in each polling place. If you have any questions about how to mark or cast your ballot, or if you have incorrectly marked a ballot, immediately contact a precinct election official for instructions before you continue.
If a voter cannot mark their ballot, or needs assistance because of a disability, the voter may bring someone to help, or ask for assistance from two poll workers from opposite major political parties.
If you are in line before the polls close at 7:30 p.m., stay in line. You will still be permitted to vote.
Is it too late to register to vote in Ohio?
The deadline to register to vote in the general election was Oct. 10, meaning it's now too late to register for the Nov. 7, 2023, election.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Live updates: What you need to know about voting in Stark County
