CLEVELAND — In years past, the start of early voting ahead of a presidential primary election carried an almost carnival-like atmosphere at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. This year, not so much. Those campaigning outside on the first day of early voting Wednesday were there for the most part in support of hopefuls for local races, not those at the top of the ticket.
In almost all presidential years, you have a contested primary on one side, the other or, like in 2016, both, which drives the enthusiasm. But as the GOP appears to be coalescing behind Donald Trump, this race is shaping up to be a likely Biden-Trump rematch of 2020 and taking the air out of the primary process.
That being said, Christopher Davis of Cleveland said to enjoy the quiet, it will end soon enough.
"I think as the summer and the fall goes into force that things will change," Davis said. "I think people will become more engaged in the process."
It's that very prospect of what's ahead, though, that concerns voters like Andrew Kartalis of Pepper Pike.
"I'm just kind of depressed," he said. "Both candidates have fallacies in my mind and I'm kind of confused at which way I want to vote."
Still, he is here on this day to have his say in the primary process, which in Ohio remains what's called a partially open one. This means you can decide at your polling place what primary you want to vote in, Democratic, Republican or non-partisan, which would be issues only - by just requesting that party's ballot. You'll then have that party's affiliation for the next two years.
In Cuyahoga County, 71% of voters are non-partisan. Count Bill Bryan among them. He's coming off the fence on this day but couldn't decide which way. He wanted to vote in the Republican primary because of the race for U.S. Senate, but he also wanted to have a say in the Democratic primary for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor.
"I'm torn," he said. "I'll go in in two minutes when I go in there and I get the ballot," is when he said he would ultimately decide. "I don't know."
In-person early voting runs for the next three and a half weeks at your local Board of Elections. Hours through March 8 are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., expanding in the final full week of early voting from March 11 to 15. The last day for in-person early voting will be on the Sunday before the election, which this year also happens to be March 17, St. Patrick's Day.
