MANSFIELD — Polls opened Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. across Richland County and 25 percent of the county’s eligible voters are expected to cast ballots by the time they close at 7:30 p.m.
That’s the voter turnout forecast from local Board of Elections Director Matt Finfgeld, which means three in four local voters will not head to the polls.
That translates into about 25,579 votes in the 2024 primary election cycle, which is in keeping with most recent presidential year primaries. There are 82,319 registered voters in Richland County.
The projected turnout rings true with recent voter participation during presidential primary election cycles.
Finfgeld said 22.28 percent of eligible voters participated in the 2020 primary election and 24.71 voted in the 2012 primary.
The only anomaly in recent years came in 2016 when 43.95 percent of registered voters cast ballots.
There were still somewhat contested presidential primary races at the time between Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders and Republicans Donald Trump, John Kasich and Ted Cruz.
There were also three school levies on the ballot in the primary in 2016 in Lexington, Shelby and Clear Fork.
The party’s primary battles for president have already been decided after voting in states with earlier elections. It will be a rematch of 2020 between Democrat Joe Biden and Trump when Americans go to the polls in November.
Finfgeld said all 34 polling locations around the county will be open. None of the voting sites have changed since November’s general election, he said.
He said about 4,800 people took advantage of early voting, including 3,625 who came to the Board of Elections office on Longview Avenue to cast ballots in-person.
Finfgeld said the local, bipartisan election board will post its first results on the board website around 8 p.m., which will consist of early in-person votes and absentee ballots sent through the mail.
Final totals should by reported by around 11 p.m., he said.
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As a community development group committed to growing Mansfield, NECIC sees civic engagement as vital for a healthy community. Rooted in the North End, their efforts benefit North Central Ohio and beyond. They promote informed voter turnout for a thriving society. Explore at www.necic-ohio.org.
