Special election turnout swamps Cherry Valley Elementary School polling location
NEWARK − Voters waited in long lines winding through Cherry Valley Elementary School and out the front entrance. Cars filled every possible parking space and then started pulling onto the grass.
It wasn't supposed to be like this for an August special election on one issue, but Licking Countians, like all Ohioans, headed to the polls in record numbers to decide State Issue 1, which would have required 60% of Ohio voters to pass an amendment to the state constitution, instead of the current simple majority.
More Licking Countians voted on Tuesday than voted on Election Day in the 2020 presidential election. The 2020 statistics are somewhat misleading, however, because COVID-19 forced many to vote by mail and reduced the Election Day vote.
Still, most early predictions were for a low turnout because of the time of year and shortness of the ballot. As election day neared, it became clear voters were engaged on this issue.
Licking County had 36,185 vote on election day and 49,036 vote overall, for a 39.3% turnout. The "yes" vote lost the state, but won Licking County with 52% of the vote. The totals were 25,553 in support of Issue 1 and 23,378 against it.
Licking County Board of Elections Director Brian Mead initially forecast a 25% turnout, then revised it to 35%. He praised both sides for energizing voters.
"The two groups worked very, very hard," Mead said. "We're going to learn from this. We'll probably have 40,000 show up in November."
Election officials expected the Cherry Valley Elementary School site to have more voters in this election because Newark's 4th Ward voters were moved there from the American Legion site.
Mead said more election poll books were sent to Cherry Valley, and even more may be sent there in November. He advises voters, if possible, to avoid the peak voting periods of the polls opening at 6:30 a.m., lunchtime and the hours immediately after work.
The county’s 96 voting precincts included 56 supporting Issue 1 and 40 voting against. The 40 precincts voting against the issue included 23 of Newark’s 25 precincts, five in Reynoldsburg, four in Pataskala, three in Granville, three in Granville Township and one each in Heath and Union Township.
In Newark, 53% voted against Issue 1, with only the 6th Ward supporting the measure. In Granville, 70% opposed Issue 1. In Granville Township, the vote was 61% in opposition. Pataskala had 2,320 voting against and 2,310 voting in support. The Reynoldsburg precincts in Licking County voted 72% against the issue.
The precinct with the most support for Issue 1 was Eden/Fallsbury townships at 72%. The precinct most opposed was Reynoldsburg 3D, with 77% voting “no.” Granville Precinct C was close behind with a 76.2% “no” vote.
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Special election turnout swamps Cherry Valley Elementary polling site
