You have three weeks until election day. And if last week’s voting patterns hold, Cuyahoga County is on pace to hit 80,000 total vote-by-mail requests and more than 20,000 early-in person votes by Aug. 8, when Issue 1 is the only question on the ballot. That number would exceed the total of 92,042 people who voted last August in Ohio’s second primary of the year. Elsewhere, county election boards are seeing 10 times the early votes they saw at this point last year. Voters are finding lines when they arrive at the polls. All this to say, Ohioans are paying attention to the constitutional amendment, which would make it harder to pass all future constitutional amendments – and even get them on the ballot. Typically, a larger number of early votes translates to a larger electorate overall. But particularly since August elections are rare, it’s difficult to tell whether people who are voting early may just be moving up their plans rather than voting on Election Day. I mailed my ballot. Have you voted yet? -- Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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Voters cast early, in-person votes last week at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. Elections officials have been struck with the high turnout so far during the first week of early voting. (David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com) |
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Early voting: So far, Cuyahoga County has seen a surprisingly large number of people cast early in-person ballots for the Aug. 8 election, in quantities more reminiscent of an off-year general election. During the first week of early voting, Andrew Tobias reports 2,811 people voted at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections early voting center in downtown Cleveland. Unemployment problems: Ohio’s beefed-up anti-fraud system flags suspicious attempts to create or access Ohioans’ unemployment accounts, but the system automatically freezes those accounts and those whose names are on those accounts have to spend hours on the phone to unfreeze them. Recently, Jeremy Pelzer reports, those wait times have stretched as long as four hours. Today in Ohio: What will the turnout be in the Aug. 8 election? Republicans have said they expect the historically low 8% of last August, but Cuyahoga County thinks it could reach 50%. We’re talking about how even modestly higher voter turnout could have a major impact on the results of Issue 1 on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Frank LaRose: After weeks of positioning and a couple of not-so-subtle-tweets teasing a bid, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose officially says he is running for the U.S. Senate. His campaign released a statement Monday morning that announced he’s filed required paperwork with federal election officials, reports Andrew Tobias. Solar eclipse: Ohio is expecting a flood of visitors for the total solar eclipse that will appear prominently across a swath of Ohio on April 8, 2024, and the state has set aside $1 million to help communities defray the cost of making sure people are safe. The money was allocated to the Ohio Emergency Management Agency “to reimburse eligible response costs for emergency management and first responders in connection to the eclipse,” reports Peter Krouse. Registration irregularities: A company that helped register over 11,000 Cuyahoga County voters last year is being referred for investigation after the local Board of Elections flagged at least 18 irregularities in their voter records, including mismatched signatures and address changes voters said they didn’t initiate. Kaitlin Durbin reports the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections formally asked Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office to probe Black Fork Strategies, a registration drive group, to determine whether the questionable registrations are representative of a more widespread problem. |
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Irish impressions: A sizzling food scene, a must-see cemetery and a “weirdly quiet” downtown were some of the observations from Irish travel writers, who came to Cleveland in May to check out Aer Lingus’ newest nonstop destination from Dublin. Susan Glaser reports the flight is bringing plenty of Europeans to Cleveland, some for the very first time. Bad drivers: Cleveland ranks as having some of the worst drivers in the U.S., according to a new report from Consumer Affairs. Cleveland drivers rank as the sixth-worst in the country, reports Zach Mentz. |
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FirstEnergy: FirstEnergy took a “pause” on lobbying public officials in the wake of the House Bill 6 scandal. But under new CEO Brian Tierney, he said the utility is going to start rebuilding relationships with regulators and lawmakers. Sean McDonnell interviews the former AEP executive, 55, who is the first FirstEnergy CEO in its 26-year history to be hired from outside of the company. StretchLab: We juice, we run, we eat kale and sniff lavender for wellness, but we don’t stretch enough, even though regular stretching offers numerous benefits for body and mood, according to a stretch-only studio called StretchLab. Julie Washington reports that a regular stretching routine helps maintain flexibility, increase circulation to muscles and eliminate muscle tightness in quadriceps, hamstrings, and hip flexors that often cause low back pain. Behavioral health: Akron Children’s Hospital’s new pediatric behavioral health center, opening today in Canton, is dedicated to teaching coping skills to young people experiencing mental health challenges, reports Julie Washington. The $7.5 million Akron Children’s Behavioral Health Canton will offer outpatient therapy programs for children, teens and young adults with conditions such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other behavioral health concerns. |
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Brother shooting: A 15-year-old boy was arrested in Cleveland on Sunday and charged with shooting his younger brother multiple times. Police were dispatched to Cleveland Clinic-South Pointe Hospital about 4 p.m. Sunday for a child who was shot near East 117th Street and Union Avenue and driven to the hospital in a private vehicle, reports Molly Walsh. Hit-skip trial: The man accused of hitting and killing Johnny Tetrick, a Cleveland firefighter, and fleeing the scene last November admits he was behind the wheel at the time. But whether Leander Bissell becomes a convicted murderer and receives a life sentence hinges upon whether prosecutors prove at his trial, which began Monday, that he knew that the actions he took on Interstate 90 on Nov. 19 would logically result in him hurting someone, Cory Shaffer reports. Jail settlement: A mentally ill inmate who suffered an unprovoked beating at the hands of a Cuyahoga County Jail officer has settled a lawsuit with the county for $110,000. Adam Ferrise reports Jasper Muldrow’s settlement was approved Friday by a Cuyahoga County Probate judge and must still get final approval today from Cuyahoga County Council. Neighbor help: Police arrested a man Saturday night and accused him of shooting a woman multiple times in the face in the city’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood. Molly Walsh reports police said the suspect attempted to flee, but a neighbor grabbed the accused shooter and held him down until officers arrived and arrested him. Shooting death: Police are investigating the death of an 18-year-old man who was shot in the head Friday evening in the city’s Clark Fulton neighborhood, reports Molly Walsh. According to preliminary information from police, Theodore Broadus of Cleveland was driving in a car with three other men when shots were fired inside the vehicle. Getaway driver: The accused getaway driver in the July 9 mass shooting in downtown Cleveland that hospitalized nine appeared before a judge on Monday in Cleveland Municipal Court. John Tucker reports Kevin Del Valle-Salaman, of Lorain, did not speak as he watched and listened in a video feed from jail following his arrest Saturday. |
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Ask Lucas: A reader fears that his job could become automated with artificial intelligence. People probably will see disruption at some point, Lucas Daprile writes. Daprile can’t say what that disruption will look like, but he says technological disruption is nothing new. Best lasagna: Guido’s -- a casual, family-run Italian restaurant in Ravenna -- serves the best lasagna in Northeast Ohio, according to voters in cleveland.com’s Best Lasagna contest. Brenda Cain and Yadi Rodriguez report that Stancato’s on State Road in Parma placed second with 31.33 percent of the vote. West Side Market: While home cooks shop the West Side Market for ideas, the 111-year-old institution is vital to inspiring and supplying professional chefs as well. They shop for small quantities of produce or specialty items. Paris Wolfe reports three chefs shared during “In the Market for Inspiration,” the sixth in an eight-part community speaker series about the future of the West Side Market. RV Rocking: Jeff and Patti Kinzbach explore the unconventional side of life on the road in their latest Rocking the RV Life podcast, with their top 12 most unusual, unexpected and sometimes bizarre experiences. |
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Man found inside vehicle with gunshot wound to head, Akron police say Read more Solon voters to be asked to expand income tax uses on Nov. 7 ballot Read more Canadian wildfire smoke again puts Northeast Ohio on air-quality alert Read more Council Gardens celebrates 60 years as one of Cleveland Heights’ ‘best-kept secrets’ Read more Dr. Erron Bell resigning as Richmond Heights Ward 1 council representative Read more 3 Ohio metro areas among most likely to be impacted by newly invasive species, report says Read more Lakeview Park in Lorain offers new twist on borrowing from the library Read more 100+ Women Who Care Medina supports summer tutoring program Read more Avon Lake residents get update on power plant demolition Read more |
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