EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — Voting continues until 7:30 p.m. in East Cleveland this Tuesday as voters decide the fate of Mayor Brandon King, who is the subject of a recall election.
Turnout at 4 p.m. was about 7.5 percent in what is expected to be a low-turnout election.
The polling place inside the Superior School for the Performing Arts in East Cleveland was quiet earlier in the day. Poll workers were killing the time between voters getting to know each other better. “Find out about everybody’s life,” said one.
King survived a similar recall just over a year ago by just 19 votes, and he became the mayor of East Cleveland in 2016 after the previous mayor, Gary Norton and the council president were recalled in another December vote.
That 2016 contest saw just 7 percent of voters turn out, and it was a race decided again by fewer than 20 votes - 13 to be exact. Something that caught voter Rhonda Hunter by surprise.
“Really? Oh my goodness,” Hunter said. “Let me go knock on some doors, 'did you vote?' Oh my goodness no, I didn’t know that.”
She said it makes her appreciate the power of her vote. “This is important. For those who are listening and you haven’t come out to vote, please come out and vote.”
East Cleveland has just under 10,000 registered voters. A difference of just 20 votes would mean .002 percent of them deciding the outcome. That’s why Justin Anderson said he came out to vote.
“Every vote counts and I just hope that many residents come here to vote.”
These recalls also come at a cost. This election could run upwards of $35,000 to stage. Alice Rowe would prefer not to have them but says, “If it’s necessary it’s necessary.”
