Election Day coverage 2022: Long waits reported for voters with 'insanely great' turnout

After months of campaigns, debates, primaries, absentee and early voting, the midterm elections are finally here.

The big races this year are the ones for governor, U.S. Senator and the three seats open for the state supreme court.

And voters casted their ballots under the new congressional, state House and state Senate districts. All three maps were declared unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court, but will still be used for this election.

Polls opened at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday and closed at 7:30 p.m. Unofficial results are currently coming in and are available here.

Polls close as some voting locations still face lines

Polls closed at 7:30, but some voting locations throughout Franklin County were undoubtedly still handling voters who arrived before polls closed, a Franklin County Board of Election spokesperson said. Dispatch Assistant Metro Editor Ryan Smith spent about two hours in line voting, and left shortly before polls closed and people were still in line.

Those who were in line before 7:30 p.m. are brought inside to the location and the line is then closed and everyone who was in line is given an opportunity to vote.

Ohio Politics Explained:Ohio Politics Explained: What's on your November ballot?

Election officials confirm armed man outside polling location acted within bounds of the law

A Franklin County Board of Elections spokesperson confirmed reports of an armed man who was at the Briggs Baptist Church on Briggs Road in Hilltop distributing pamphlets outside of the voting location there.

Election officials said the man was acting within the bounds of the law and it was not clear if he had voted at that location. The man did not brandish the firearm or intimidate anyone with the firearm, the Franklin County Board of Elections spokesperson said.

Voter turnout described as 'insanely great'

Despite heated political rhetoric heading into the midterm election Tuesday, one polling location leader said voters were courteous and polite when lining up to cast their ballots.

There were no signs of intimidation or frustration despite early long lines that formed inside the Schiller Park recreation center polling location Tuesday, said voting location manager Paul Khoury.

Shortly after the polling location opened at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, lines of people snaked around the recreation center's gym three times before trailing off outside, Khoury said. But Khoury said the long wait didn't seem to sour voters.

"We haven't had any serious kvetching," Khoury said. "People have been very gracious and understanding."

Khoury was surprised to see so many voters show up Tuesday morning. He thought more people might have chosen to take advantage of early voting in the first midterm election since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Lines were so long early at the polling location that poll workers began allowing more voters to fill out paper ballots instead of using machines. Lines had begun to dissipate by 12:30 p.m. or so.

One reason for long lines in the morning may have been the lengthy midterm ballot, Khoury said. Several local issues appear on this November ballot along with every statewide office and a U.S. senate race.

"Turnout has been insanely great," Khoury said.

-Max Filby

Businesses offer Election Day discounts in Columbus area

A number of local businesses encouraged customers to vote Tuesday by offering discounts and deals for those wearing their "I Voted" sticker handed out at the polls. Among the Columbus-area retailers and restaurants offering deals Tuesday are:

• Hot Chicken Takeover: $3 off an order

• Red Giraffe Designs: 15% off entire purchase

• Coast to Local Seafood: $4 off a Connecticut or Maine Lobster roll

• Glenn Avenue Soap Company: 15% entire purchase

• Pistacia Vera: One free macaron

• Seventh Son Brewing, Antiques on High and Getaway Brewing Company: Half off your first beer in celebration of Election Day (no voting sticker required)

The local businesses join larger ones offering deals nationwide on Election Day.

— Jennifer Smola

Columbus voters concerned about safety, crime

Standing outside the busy Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in downtown Columbus shortly before 9 a.m., Shirley Cerimele said she had long supported Democratic candidates but decided to vote straight Republican Tuesday. She believes her extended Italian family did the same.

Cerimele, 49, explained her choice to change parties by saying she feels as if the U.S. Constitution is being attacked and that her tax dollars aren’t being spent correctly.

A Downtown resident of six years, Cerimele also said she no longer feels safe in the area.

“I almost bought a puppy last night, but I changed my mind because I have a fear of walking outside my door. I’ve lived Downtown for a while, and I never felt like that before.”

In 2021, five people were slain Downtown, the most in recent years. But the total number of crimes reported to Columbus there has declined each year since 2018, previous Dispatch reporting shows. 

Still, the decline, at least through 2021, has been overshadowed by several high-profile incidents, including the May 22, 2021, shooting at Bicentennial Park along the Scioto River that left 16-year-old Olivia Kurtz dead and five others wounded.

Two and a half miles due north at Dwell Community Church along Fourth Street in the University District, 21-year-old Brian Waligura also cited crime as a concern.

But the fourth-year theatre and biology student at Ohio State University said Republicans, not Democrats, are making communities less safe, citing Gov. Mike DeWine’s decision to sign a bill in March that lets Ohio residents 21 and older conceal firearms they are legally allowed to own without training or permits.

“That’s scary for me as a student,” Waligura said in the parking lot of the nondenominational church, where voting was steady just before 10 a.m. “I live off campus where I hear gunshots. Not even three days ago, there was a shooting that happened on the street across from me.”

Waligura said Republicans are pushing false narratives that Democratic policies have led to increased crime. “I feel like they are making these arguments based out of pure aggression. They aren’t looking at their facts or statistics,” Waligura said.

Other than crime, Waligura said the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision to overturn of Roe v. Wade largely informed how he voted. That decision and others made by the court have been hard to stomach, he said.

“It’s been easy to go down that negative path of, ‘Oh, nothing is going to change,’” Waligura said. “I catch myself in those moments where I am being negative and I’m losing faith in the system and I’m like, ‘OK, you know what, there are people out there that care,’” he said, citing U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York. “When I see people like her fighting for things for my community, for people like me, it really does inspire me and gives me that sense of optimism. I think being pessimistic isn’t really going to help right now.”

-Monroe Trombly

Ohio sets record for early voting

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Monday that Ohio voters set a record this year for early voting in a nonpresidential election year.

More than 1.55 million Ohioans either voted early in-person or requested a mail-in absentee ballot for this election. "This is an increase of 3.9% over the previous record set in 2018," according to the Secretary of State's office.

The data includes all ballots received through 2 p.m. Monday, when early in-person voting ended across the state.

The main reason for Ohio's record-breaking early voting numbers was the increase in in-person early voting at county boards of elections. As of the end of early in-person voting on Monday, 549,771 people voted in person compared to 429,521 at the same point in 2018.

“The record-setting number of Ohioans who utilized our two early voting options is great news for those hoping for shorter lines on Election Day,” LaRose said in a news release. “While we still expect a particularly strong turnout, we’re confident our bipartisan election officials are prepared and ready to execute on another successful election. Make sure your voice is heard.”

Meanwhile, absentee ballot requests saw a 5.8% decrease over 2018, with 1,000,669 requests received by county boards of elections statewide, according to a news release from the Secretary of State's office. On Monday afternoon, 154,042 outstanding absentee ballots had not yet been returned to a county board of elections. Ballots will still be accepted Tuesday until 7:30 p.m. when voters turn them in at their county board of elections.

COTA waiving fares on Election Day

The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) is waiving transit fares for all customers Tuesday in order to improve access to polling locations, the organization said in a news release.

The board of trustees approved the resolution in September, along with a resolution to waive fare for veterans and active military members on Veterans Day.

The free bus rides apply to COTA’s fixed-route system, COTA Mainstream, Mainstream On-Demand and COTA//Plus.

“Polling locations should never be a barrier for our customers to exercise their right to vote,” COTA Board of Trustees Chair Craig Treneff said in the news release. “I am proud that our board recognizes that voting access includes the need for mobility and continues to waive fares during general elections. Equity and accessibility are crucial to our election process.”

Still time to catch Election Day lunar eclipse

Those heading out to the polls early may be able to catch the last of the "beaver blood moon" lunar eclipse.

Lunar eclipses occur when the sun, the Earth, and moon are in a straight line with Earth sitting in the middle, casting its shadow on the moon, according to Space.com.

When the Earth's shadow covers the moon, it often produces a red color, which is why lunar eclipses often get the nickname "blood" moon, reported USA TODAY. The coloration happens because a bit of reddish sunlight still reaches the moon's surface, even though it's in Earth's shadow.

The sky event began around 4:45 a.m. with a partial eclipse. Totality of the moon became visible around 5:17 a.m., and will has since moved back to a partial eclipse. According to NASA, the lunar eclipse will last until 8:05 a.m.

What's going to be on the ballot statewide?

One of the biggest decisions voters will make Tuesday is in the race for governor and whether current Republican Gov. Mike DeWine will keep his position for another four years or if his role will go to Democrat and former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.

Meanwhile, Republican J.D. Vance is going up against Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan for U.S. Senate.  A lot of national attention has been drawn specifically to the senate race: the winner of the race will replace retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman and could help determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.

A new chief justice and two seats on the Ohio Supreme Court will also be decided. Justices Sharon Kennedy, a Republican, and Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, are running for chief, while two appellate court judges − Democrats Marilyn Zayas and Terri Jamison − are trying to unseat justices Pat DeWine and Pat Fischer, two Cincinnati Republicans.

Then there's proposals like issues 1 and 2. Issue 1 focuses on bail reform, with courts considering aspects like public safety, a person's criminal record and the seriousness of the crime when setting up the amount. Issue 2 would prohibit noncitizens from voting, proposing that only adult U.S. citizens who legally reside and are registered to vote in Ohio for  at least 30 days can cast a ballot in future state and local elections.

What will be on the ballot in Greater Columbus?

In Columbus, voters will decide a series of charter amendments, including ones to change the city's civil service rules and another to prevent self-dealing issues like Issue 7, the murky green energy initiative on the 2021 ballot. Columbus voters will also consider a $1.5 million bond package, including more money for affordable housing.

Elsewhere in Franklin County, voters will pick a county commissioner and a number of local judges. Senior services are the ballot in Franklin and Delaware counties.

And voters in the New Albany, Worthington, Pickerington, Delaware, Upper Arlington and Madison-Plains districts will decide tax issues to fund their local schools.

There are also a number of local candidates and issues, such as township police and fire levies and liquor options.

Reporter Nolan Simmons contributed to this story.

mwalker@dispatch.com

@micah_walker701

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Ohio election day turnout "insanely great"