Ahead of midterms, Lorain County sees flurry of voter registrations and absentee requests

SHEFFIELD TWP. — More than 1,100 local residents have registered to vote since the May primary, according to Lorain County Board of Elections Director Paul Adams. Avon Lake is at the top of the list for new sign-ups, with 266 people added to the voter rolls. Avon is next with 189, and North Ridgeville has added 167 new voters. "We do have a backlog of registrations," Adams said Friday — his staff planned to work through the weekend to process several hundred ahead of one of the biggest elections in recent memory. With congressional seats at stake, midterm elections are always a big draw. This fall, Ohio voters will also elect a governor, with Republican incumbent Mike DeWine facing a challenge from Democrat Nan Whaley, along with several write-ins. It will be a full ballot — there are 23 races with 52 tickets, only two of which are unopposed. They include battles for Ohio attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, Ohio Supreme Court justices, seats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, several state legislative races, local judges, a county commissioner, county auditor and a state board of education race. There are also 50 issues on the ballot, including two proposed amendments to the Ohio Constitution and a string of school, county, city and township levies, alcohol sales options, charter amendments and income tax proposals. "I think midterms traditionally are the most high-profile elections we have, with the exception of presidential," said Rob Nichols, media spokesman for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. "They have everyone's attention and there's a lot of advertising going around. That creates a lot of interest." Voter registration across the state is "stuck" at 7,979,000, he said: "We're doing everything we can to get it over 8 million." LaRose has launched a campaign called "Voting Is About Our Future" to encourage new registrations. It features elementary school-aged children calling on adults to speak for them via the ballot. "The decisions we make on election day will have a tremendous impact on future generations," said LaRose. "Our hope is that this message resonates with every Ohioan and reminds them to get registered and make their voices heard." LaRose, a Republican, is also seeking reelection with a challenge from Democrat Chelsea Clark. Adams said the Lorain County Board of Elections is preparing to handle about 30,000 mail absentee ballots, as many more early in-person voters and around 120,000 more on Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Adams said there has been a big rush in people turning in forms to request absentee ballots — thousands are being received every day. He said nonprofits such as the League of Women Voters are busy trying to sign up first-time voters, too. Others are registering online or at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Over the summer, a steady stream of parents has taken their children who are turning 18 into the North Ridge Road elections office to become registered, and to "instill how important it is to vote," Adams said. His analysis: The biggest driving factor in new voter registrations is the bitterly divisive political atmosphere across the country. Americans are aggravated at the political parties. Democrats are convinced there will be a blue wave and Republicans are convinced there will be a red wave. Adams said he's even received absentee ballot request forms packed with handwritten notes, giving angry thoughts on social issues. "That is something I haven't seen at this level before," he said. A study by the New York Times found there has been a 6.4 percent increase in registration by Ohio women since May, when a leak showed the U.S. Supreme Court intended to overturn Roe v. Wade. The newspaper said new registrations among women were higher only in Kansas, where it increased by nearly 16 percent. Subsequent reporting by Vox said a greater share of new young voters are Democrats, based on voters under the age of 25 in states that report party registration. Like the New York Times, it also tied the trend to the high court's decision to reverse federal abortion protections. Nichols cast doubt on the Times' reporting, saying it is based on consumer information databases, surveys and assumptions about gendered names. Both he and Adams confirmed that gender is not reflected on Ohio's voter registration forms. That information is not collected. In late August, the nonpartisan think tank Pew Research also published a report saying abortion has risen in importance as an issue. A majority of registered voters — 56 percent — said abortion will be "very important" in their midterm vote, up from 43 percent in March, Pew concluded. The economy is the top voting issue for members of both parties, however. Among people surveyed by Pew researchers, Republicans cited the economy as their biggest concern more often than Democrats. Gun policy, violent crime, health care, voting policies, education, Supreme Court appointments and abortion were all top priorities among registered voters. The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election is Oct. 11. Registration can be done in person at the Lorain County Board of Elections office, 1985 North Ridge Road E., Sheffield Township; at olvr.ohiosos.gov; or by mail, so long as it's postmarked by Oct. 11. Reporter Jason Hawk can be reached at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.