Early Cuyahoga County voting is double the 2022 pace; voters should make a plan, officials say

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cuyahoga County voters already are turning out in large numbers, with the County Board of Elections recording its busiest day for early in-person voting in this election cycle on Monday and participation already eclipsing the numbers from the 2022 midterms. Four years ago, about 22,000 people in Cuyahoga County voted early in person. Anthony Perlatti, director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, said that level was eclipsed by Thursday last week. Perlatti expects 45,000 to 50,000 people in Cuyahoga County to vote early in-person by the end of early voting on Sunday --roughly twice the 2022 total.“That’s great. Yesterday was our busiest day,” Perlatti said at a news conference on Tuesday. “We had about 3,800 people come through here. … But it’s a good issue to have.”With early in-person voting up, Cuyahoga County election officials say people should make a voting plan ahead of Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.Individuals can vote in one of three ways: by mail, early in person at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, or on Election Day at local polling places.Voting early in personEarly in-person voting has drawn large enough crowds that voters should expect wait times of at least an hour this week, with even longer lines possible over the weekend, Perlatti said. The board has ample parking available, including a free garage with hundreds of spaces.The remaining early in-person voting hours are:October 27: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.October 28 to 30: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.October 31: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.November 1: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.During early voting, anyone in line by closing time will be allowed to vote.There is no early in-person voting on Monday, Nov. 2. Ohio requires voters to present a valid, unexpired photo ID when voting in person, whether early or on Election Day. Accepted forms include an Ohio driver license, an Ohio ID card, a U.S. passport or passport card, a U.S. military ID, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID, or an Ohio National Guard ID. Voters who cannot provide an accepted photo ID can cast a provisional ballot. For that ballot to be eligible to count, they must present an accepted ID to the board within four days after Election Day, according to the Ohio secretary of state’s office.Voting by mailTuesday evening at 8:30, Oct. 27, is the deadline for submitting an application for a mail-in absentee ballot. That ballot, once received, must be returned to the elections board offices by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3, whether mailed or delivered in person. Perlatti said voters probably shouldn’t mail their ballots after Tuesday, but should instead return them to the elections board.“It all depends on what kind of risk taker you are. I am not much of a risk taker when it comes to getting my ballot back. So, I recommend at this point in the cycle, the for sure thing is driving it down to the board.”The board is home to a secure drop box that is open until 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. It is under security surveillance with a bipartisan team of employees who empty it multiple times a day. Perlatti said the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections has received about 120,000 applications for absentee ballots, with about 82,000 ballots returned as of Tuesday.Election Day votingThe polls are open on Election Day from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Perlatti encouraged voters to double-check their local polling location, because there are changes each year, mostly within the city of Cleveland.MORE BY MARY FRANCES MCGOWANVoters can look up their polling place, get driving directions and view their sample ballot on the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections website.Perlatti said the U.S. Department of Justice notified him that its Civil Rights Division would send monitors to Cuyahoga County for Election Day, as it has for even-year general elections for more than a decade because the county must provide voting services in English and Spanish. Past visits have focused on bilingual services, including signage and identification of bilingual poll workers, he said, adding that he hopes this year’s visit will serve the same purpose.