Please get out and vote today

Every Lorain County voter who hasn't already cast a ballot should get out and vote in today's primary election, even if he or she isn't a member of a political party. There is a host of issues across the county that must be decided, including a countywide additional levy for the county's Board of Developmental Disabilities. That isn't the only request for additional money on the ballot. Amherst Schools has asked voters to approve a new income tax, while the city of Avon Lake wants voters to raise its existing income tax. Meanwhile, Lorain Schools, along with the Lorain Public Library System's Domonkas Branch in Sheffield Lake, the South Lorain County Ambulance District and Sheffield Township all have asked for additional property tax levies. Columbia Township has asked voters to renew and increase a levy for road maintenance. There also are plenty of straight renewal levies on the ballot, including for Avon Lake Schools, the Avon Lake Public Library, the Lorain Fire Department, the Lorain Public Library System, the Oberlin Public Library and in the townships of Amherst, Camden, Carlisle and Sheffield. There also is a scattering of local liquor options in Amherst, Elyria and Oberlin. Voters who are members of a political party or decide to pull a party ballot — in Ohio, voters decide which party they belong to by voting in a party primary — also have plenty of decisions to make. Although there are many races lacking contested primaries, voters on the Democratic side must decide which candidates they want to represent them in November in races for Lorain County commissioner, the 52nd and 53rd state House districts, the 5th Congressional District, the U.S. Senate, Ohio attorney general and Ohio secretary of state. On the Republican side, GOP voters need to pick standard bearers in races for county commissioner, governor, secretary of state, Ohio treasurer and a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court. Even Libertarians have a decision to make in their gubernatorial primary contest, which pits Don Kissick, whose name appears on the ballot, against write-in candidate Travis Jon Vought. Democrats, Libertarians and Republicans also must decide who will represent them on their respective party's state central committees. All these decisions are important and will help shape the future of local, state and national government for years to come. County Board of Elections Director Lisette Gracia, a Democrat, said she expected turnout to be around 21 percent, while Deputy Director Jim Kramer, a Republican, predicted turnout would be around 22 percent. Midterm primaries tend to have lower turnout than the general elections held a few months later. (In 2022's midterm primary, turnout in Lorain County was just over 21 percent, although that contest didn't feature races for the Statehouse because of a legal battle over redistricting. Turnout in the general election that year was just under 52 percent.) Gracia said that as of Tuesday, 12,409 of the county's 214,138 registered voters had cast an early ballot either in person or via mail. (The breakdown was 620 issues-only ballots, 35 Libertarian ballots, 3,844 Republican ballots and 7,910 Democratic ballots.) We urge those to have yet to vote to show up and make their voices heard today. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.