The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
INFORMED VOTE OPPORTUNITY
Early voting starts for May primary
Early voting started for the May 4 primary, but the election may be confusing because not every community has candidate races or issues on the ballot.
Meanwhile, 3,713 voters in Avon Lake Precincts 1-B, 2-C and 2-D will have a change of place when they go to the polls in the spring. Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 410 Lear Road, will be the new voting location for them.
April 6 was the start of early voting for the spring primary election.
Voters may cast ballots at the Lorain County Board of Elections, 1985 North Ridge Road East, Sheffield Township. Open hours are posted online and change to be available for early voting.
Turnout was low on the first day — a far different scene from fall 2020, when the presidential election spurred lines of people stretching out the door and down the block at the board of elections.
“Unfortunately, I think there are too many people that believe we only vote once every four years,” said Paul Adams, director of the elections board. “That’s very unfortunate.”
The voters included the couple Lidia and John Ganobcik, longtime Lorain business owners who live in Amherst Township.
“Unfortunately, I think there are too many people that believe we only vote once every four years.” — Paul Adams, director of Lorain County Board of Elections
They said they both value voting and learned the importance from their families while growing up.
John Ganobcik’s mother emigrated to the United States from Italy and Lidia Ganobcik became a naturalized citizen. Her family left Ukraine for Germany, then arrived in the United States when she was 1.
“I wouldn’t miss it. It’s really, really important to vote,” said Lidia Ganobcik, a candidate volunteer who witnessed the crowds of voters last fall. “It’s one of the most precious things, to be able to vote.”
The elections board has created a color-coded map for voters easily to identify if they need to come out for the May primary.
“In an odd year primary election, you can see cases where the entire county is not open like what we’re seeing here,” Adams said.
“And it can be confusing for voters,” because people may hear about friends or coworkers who voted in a community with a race or issue on the ballot, he said. Voters mistakenly may feel disenfranchised or denied the right to vote, Adams added.
On the ballot
• North Ridgeville: There is a Republican primary for Republican at-large candidates for City Council. There are no issues on the ballot and no contested primary for Democratic candidates.
• Lorain: There is a Republican primary for Republican candidates for Lorain Council at-large and issues on the ballot. Voters may ask for a Republican primary ballot to vote on those races and issues, or an issues-only ballot if they do not wish to affiliate themselves with the Republican Party.
There is not a contested primary for Democratic candidates.
“Lorain is the only community in the entire county where you would have a choice between two different types of ballots,” Adams said, because every place else has one option for voting issues only, a partisan primary or nonpartisan primary.
• Elyria: There is a Democratic primary for candidates running for City Council’s Fifth Ward seat. There are no issues on the ballot.
• Vermilion: There is a nonpartisan primary for the three candidates running for mayor. The top two vote getters will advance.
There are issues on the ballot in: the cities of Avon Lake, Sheffield Lake and Oberlin; the villages of Wellington, Kipton and Rochester; and the townships of Columbia, Sheffield, Amherst, Henrietta, New Russia, Camden, Pittsfield, Penfield, Wellington, Brighton, Rochester and Huntington.
Avon, Amherst, Sheffield Village, Grafton, and the townships of Elyria, Brownhelm, Carlisle, Eaton, Grafton and LaGrange do not have any primary races or issues on the ballot.
Voters from those communities don’t need to come out for the May primary, according to official reports.
“Not all of Lorain County will have candidates and issues on the ballot for voters to vote on,” Adams said. “As an example, the entire city of Avon will not be open for this election. So if you have somebody saying, oh, early voting starts tomorrow at the board of elections and somebody from Avon shows up, there’s not going to be anything for them to vote on.”
Avon Lake
Board of Elections members Marilyn Jacobcik, Anthony Giardini and Jack Baird voted to change the voting place for the May 4 primary for 3,713 voters in Avon Lake Precincts 1-B, 2-C and 2-D.
Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 410 Lear Road, will be the new voting location for them. Previously those voters cast ballots at Learwood Middle School, 340 Lear Road, Avon Lake.
The new location is roughly a quarter mile south of the old one so it will be closer to some voters and further away for others, the board members said.
The board members expressed gratitude to Avon Lake Schools and to Holy Spirit parish for opening their buildings for voting. Holy Spirit parish has adequate parking, inside space and handicap accessibility to serve as a polling location. Notices to those voters will be mailed starting April 7.
Pay raises
In other business, the board approved a 3 percent raise for regular workers and a new pay range for part-time workers to make $11.50 to $19 an hour, depending on experience.