Even as the fall temperature dipped
into the 40’s on Sunday, the line of voters curled around
the Early Voting Center on Monroe Street as voters appeared
to be undeterred by the cold or the perception that voting,
especially early voting, has become increasingly more
restricted.
Voters were greeted on this first
weekend of voting, at a distance, by streets lined with
candidates’ signs, volunteers waving and chanting, music and
a food truck, if they chose to break out of line for a
minute or two.
The Movement, the group that hosts
events to encourage people to register and vote, led by Tina
Butts, was out in force as were various candidates and their
supporters ready to greet voters as they strode to the lines
from their parked cars. By Friday, October 23, before the
weekend of voting, 1.1 million Ohioans had already cast
their votes, more than double the 2016 same period early
voting totals.
