McNamara encourages early voting

8/10/2013

Toledo mayoral candidate Joe McNamara urged people on Friday to take advantage of early voting.

“I have a five-point economic plan, and I want to be mayor to turn Toledo around,” Mr. McNamara said with about 20 supporters during a rally outside the Lucas County early-vote center in North Toledo. “I am asking people to vote, to vote early, and to vote for me.”

Mr. McNamara, a Democratic Toledo councilman, said he would wait to cast his primary ballot until Sept. 10 because it’s traditional for candidates to vote on the morning of Election Day.

Lucas County Auditor Anita Lopez, the other registered Democrat running for Toledo mayor, voted Tuesday, the first day of early voting. They and four others are on the primary ballot to challenge incumbent Mayor Mike Bell.

A spokesman for the Bell campaign said the mayor plans to vote on the day of the primary, as does Toledo Councilman D. Michael Collins, a political independent in the race. Also running are independent Alan Cox, Libertarian Michael Konwinski, and Opal Covey, who says she’s a Republican, but last voted as a Democrat.

The two candidates who win the most votes in the nonpartisan primary election will face off in the Nov. 5 election.

The Early Vote Center is at Summit Plaza,1500 North Superior St., which is also the Greater Toledo YMCA. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays except Tuesdays, when it stays open until 6:30 p.m. The center also will be open until 6 p.m. on Sept. 6, the final day of early voting for the Sept. 10 primary, which also includes races for Toledo and Maumee city councils.