Before doors even opened, the line to vote early was down the sidewalk in Toledo on Tuesday as about 50 people waited to cast their ballot in the November general election.
Early voting centers in Ohio opened at 8 a.m. At the Lucas County Board of Elections on West Sylvania Avenue, Toledo resident Barbara Kyles was one of the first people in line.
Ms. Kyles, 78, said she’s never missed an election and having the option to vote early gives her more opportunities to get to the polls beyond just Election Day.
“I believe this the most critical [election] of all the times I’ve voted,” she said. “I desire to live in a country that is democratic and values diversity.”
Although Ms. Kyles did not want to disclose what issues or candidates motivated her to vote early, she noted that the city charter amendment, which would change the consecutive term limit for Toledo mayors from two terms to three upon voter approval, was particularly important for her.
Both the Lucas County Republican Party and the Lucas County Democratic Party held news conferences with local candidates highlighting the importance of voting early.
The Republican Party has typically encouraged people to vote on Election Day rather than voting early or through absentee ballots, but Paul Komisarek, the chairman of political development for the Lucas County GOP, said with so many important races on the ballot this year, it’s important that people make a plan and vote early if they can.
Mr. Komisarek was joined by Republican candidates state Rep. Derek Merrin (R., Monclova Township), who is running against U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo); John Rozic, who is running against Lucas County Commissioner Anita Lopez; Tom Waniewski, who is running against Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken; Wendi Hendricks, who is running against state Rep. Michele Grim (D., Toledo); Lucas County Juvenile Court Judge Robert Jones, Jr., who is running against Amy Stoner; and Jaime Agnew, who is running against Ken Walz for judge in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas.
“I’m joined with my Republican colleagues here in Lucas County to encourage every Republican, every conservative, and everyone here in Lucas County that wants change in our county and our nation to come cast your vote early here at the voting location and lock in your vote to help put us all over the finish line,” Mr. Merrin said at the news conference.
After the conference, none of the candidates hopped in the steady line to vote early. Mr. Rozic said he planned to vote in the coming weeks, but Mr. Waniewski said he was waiting to cast his ballot on Election Day. Ms. Hendricks said she traditionally votes on Election Day but encourages people to vote early or absentee if they want to.
The Lucas County Democratic Party drew a bigger crowd, and Schuyler Beckwith, the chairman of the party, was handing out slate cards with the endorsed candidates as soon as doors opened. She was joined by Ms. Kaptur; Mr. Gerken; Ms. Lopez; Dave Blyth, who is running against state Rep. Josh Williams (R., Sylvania Township); Mr. Walz; Erika White, who is running for an open seat in the statehouse against Josiah Leinbach; Ms. Stoner; and Lucas County Auditor Katie Moline, who is running unopposed.
“Democrats deliver not just for a few people, not just for those who are billionaires, but for every single person in this country,” Ms. Kaptur said at the news conference. “We support labor rights. We support the ability to work for a living wage, and every single project that we built in this community … brings jobs back home.”
Like many of their Republican opponents, some of the Democratic candidates did not jump in the line after the news conference to vote early. However, Ms. Beckwith, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Walz, and Ms. Stoner all did. Mr. Blyth said he was voting absentee, and Mr. Gerken said he was looking forward to casting his ballot in the next few weeks.
Oregon residents Bruce and Amie Brodie took pictures of themselves outside the early voting sign, holding their “I voted” stickers.
Mr. Brodie said he started voting early because he couldn’t make it to the polls on Election Day after work. Now, it’s his routine.
“I was always having a hard time getting to vote because of work in the past, and then when they instituted it years ago, I was so happy, and I’ve always just liked early voting because it enables me to get [to the polls],” he said.
Mrs. Brodie said she works as a peace officer on Election Day, so voting early allows her to get it out of the way.
“I feel like it gives people more of an opportunity so that people don’t get cut out of voting or disenfranchised because they can’t get here,” Mrs. Brodie said.
The Brodies cast their ballots for Vice President Kamala Harris, but Mrs. Brodie said it was also important for her to cast her ballot in support for the Lucas County Children Services levy.
“I think if people, if families can find that support, I think that we can have a better citizenry later,” she said. “... Maybe in the past, people used to be able to depend on their family, but that’s not really true anymore. We have to count on our local and national government to support those kinds of things and provide funding for those kinds of things in order to help people live healthy lives.”
Toledo resident Terry Burkhead, 56, was leaving the polls around 9:45 a.m. and said it took about 25 minutes from the time he stepped in line to when he cast his ballot. He also voted in support for Ms. Harris as opposed to former President Donald Trump.
“[She] stands for democracy and is on the right side of history,” Mr. Burkhead said. “And I would never vote for a felon to be president.”
Mr. Burkhead said he typically votes early, but the line was longer than he had noticed in the past.
“That just shows that people are motivated [to vote] this election,” he said, indicating toward the line.
Residents in Lucas County can vote at the Board of Elections Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Beginning on Oct. 21, the polling center will be open every day until Nov. 3. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 29, and Election Day is Nov. 5.
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