CLEVELAND — Data from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections shows a drop in voter turnout during a presidential election.
Approximately 64% of registered voters in the county cast their ballots this year.
In 2020, 71% of Cuyahoga's registered voters participated in the election.
In 2016, 69% of voters cast ballots.
"We don't know where everybody went this time," Manager of Community Outreach Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Mike West said.
West said officials had anticipated high voter turnout on election day after the county set a new record for early in-person voting.
Voter turnout was the lowest in precincts on the southeast side of Cleveland, including a precinct in Ward 5.
Cleveland City Councilman Richard Starr, who represents Ward 5, said it was disappointing to see such low voter turnout in his ward, but he was not surprised residents failed to show up at the polls.
“Look at what the neighborhoods have been since George Bush got elected, since Barack Obama got elected, since all these different leaders, the neighborhoods remain the same," Starr said.
