MANSFIELD — About 15 percent of registered voters are expected to cast ballots by the time polls close Tuesday in the 2019 primary election, according to the Richland County Board of Elections.
That may not sound like a big number. But it’s more than twice as many voters as the county saw in the 2015 primary when there was just one contested race on the City of Mansfield ballot.
With four contested Democratic Party races Tuesday, including mayor of Mansfield and three seats on city council, primary voter turnout for an off-year primary election could swell to levels last seen locally in 2011 and 2007.
In 2011, participation was 19.5 percent when there were contested Mansfield mayoral primaries in both parties, as well as two contested Democratic races for council seats and a Republican challenge for finance director.
It was even higher (24.8 percent) in 2007 when there were contested mayoral primaries for both Democrats and Republicans.
Local Elections Director Paulette Hankins said there are 28,232 registered voters in the City of Mansfield. This election has 31,102 registered voters around the county, including tax issues in Cass, Jackson and Plymouth townships.
Hankins said Monday morning that 579 voters had come to the board of elections to participate in “early voting.” Another 194 had requested ballots by mail and that 119 of those have been returned thus far.
Polls open Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.
The local elections board will meet on May 20 at 3 p.m. to review provisional ballots. The official vote count is done on May 21 and the board reconvenes May 23 at 3 p.m. to certify the official results.
Richland Source will report unofficial results Tuesday evening as soon as they are announced by the Board of Elections.
