MOUNT VERNON — If early absentee voting in Knox County is any indication of voter turnout for the Ohio primary elections, Tuesday may be a record-setting day in the county.
Rita Yarman, director of the Knox County Board of Elections, said that “well over 3,000” early absentee ballots had been received already. This is because no-fault absentee voting allows voters to cast their ballots early for no reason other than convenience. In the past, voters had to meet certain criteria in order to vote with an absentee ballot.
Luckily, the Knox County Board of Elections has “ballots on demand,” noted Yarman, which allows them to print as many ballots as they need. In terms of predicted turnout for the primary election next week, Yarman says “we can throw all of the prior statistics out.” She also noted that there was a heavy turnout in the 2006 general election, but seeing such large amount of ballots cast so early for a primary election is surprising when compared with previous years. “We’re looking for a heavy turnout,” said Yarman.