Summit County makes changes to alleviate traffic, parking problems during early voting

Early voting starts Tuesday and Summit County has made several changes aimed at alleviating traffic and parking problems.

These include a new traffic pattern, a different location for the ballot drop box and overflow parking areas with a shuttle service provided.

Early voting will be offered from Tuesday through Nov. 3. The hours for the first two weeks will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

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The Summit County Board of Elections is at 470 Grant St. in Akron and the Early Vote Center, where in-person early voting will be offered, is next door at 500 Grant St. A drop box where voters can return their completed ballots will be available 24/7 at 450 Grant St., in a parking lot on the other side of the board office.

All traffic on the section of Grant Street by the board offices will be restricted to right turns only.

From the south, early voters should take Wolf Ledges Parkway, turn right on Wheeler Street and turn right again on Grant Street. Voters should go into the board’s entrance at 470 Grant St. and will then be directed to parking at the Early Vote Center.

Overflow parking available at 3 locations

Overflow parking for early voting will be available at 440 Wolf Ledges Parkway (Akron Innovation Campus), 411 Wolf Ledges Parkway (Akron Innovation Campus) and 150 E. Exchange St. (Folk Art Hall.)

Voters must be in line at the Early Vote Center by the time the polls close on early voting days.

Shuttle service will be available to take voters from the overflow parking lots to the Early Vote Center. The shuttle service will stop 30 minutes prior to the closing of the line to vote and will continue until one hour after the closing of the line.

Those who are returning absentee ballots for a family member will need to sign an attestation form. Board employees will be available to assist with this at a person’s vehicle at the drop box at 450 Grant St. or inside the board at 470 Grant St.

For more information, visit www.boe.ohio.gov/summit/information/2024-traffic-flow/ or call 330-643-5200.

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com , 330-996-3705 and on X (formerly Twitter): @swarsmithabj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Summit County makes changes to alleviate traffic, parking problems during early voting