Politics & Government

Absentee Voting Way Down

Did change in early balloting affect outcome of election?

Only about 42 percent of the votes in Strongsville Tuesday were cast by absentee ballot -- from the last few elections.

The dip is almost certainly due to a this fall. Cuyahoga County did not mail out absentee applications to every registered voter in this election.

Instead, voters had to apply for an early ballot online or pick up an application at the library, City Hall or other location.

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Figures from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections show that of the 17,072 votes cast on Issue 15, the Strongsville school levy renewal, 7,157 were done by absentee ballot and 9,915 were cast on Election Day.

In August, 79 percent of ballots cast on a 6.9-mill school levy were done absentee; in May, 72 percent of the primary election votes came in early.

Find out what's happening in Strongsvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Interestingly, Election Day voters came closer to passing the school levy than mail-in voters did. Of those who voted at the polls on Tuesday, Issue 15 was defeated 5,064 to 4,851 -- about 200 votes.

Absentee voters turned it down 4,072 to 3,085 -- around 1,000 votes.

Another Difference?

Election Day changed the course of one . 

In Ward 2, incumbent Ray Haseley held a narrow lead over challenger Matt Schonhut in absentee voting, 813 to 790. But as precincts were counted, Schonhut quickly went ahead.

Schonhut credited his hard campaigning over the last few weeks -- when many absentee voters had already mailed in their ballots -- and at the polls on Tuesday with his victory.

"I worked really hard the last three weeks and my whole family helped me, standing at the polls all day Tuesday," he said.

 

 


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