Early voting for governor, statewide and congressional races, county row offices and judges, and municipal and school district levies got started Tuesday amid signs of a low-turnout election year.

Lucas County Elections Director Gina Kaczala said 96 people had voted as of 5 p.m., a little more than half of the 172 who had voted on the first day in 2010, the last year of a gubernatorial election.

“It was a good day for a first day. Everything went very smoothly. There were no problems with the machines,” Ms. Kaczala said.

In another sign of possible voter apathy this year, fewer Lucas County residents have requested an absentee voter ballot by mail than the last gubernatorial election.

Ms. Kaczala said the agency received about 18,800 requests for absentee voter ballots by mail this year, compared with more than 26,000 for the same period in 2010.

The Ohio Secretary of State’s office mailed an absentee voter ballot application to every registered voter in the state. The voter had to supply the return postage.

Brenda Hill, a Democrat, chairman of the Lucas County Board of Elections, speculated that the low absentee ballot response was because “maybe more people are planning to do absentee voting in person at the early-voting center.” The Early Vote Center is at 1946 N. 13th St. in an office building in which the Lucas County Board of Elections has temporarily rented space.

Jon Stainbrook, chairman of the Lucas County Republican Party, said the low rate of voting so far reflects a weak campaign by the candidate at the top of the Democratic ticket, gubernatorial nominee Ed FitzGerald.

As of the end of September, Mr. FitzGerald had $2.6 million in his campaign war chest, while Republican incumbent John Kasich had about five times as much, $14 million. That gap will make it difficult for the FitzGerald campaign to air the TV commercials and fund the get-out-the-vote effort that Democrats need to be successful.

“Unfortunately there’s no enthusiasm on the Democratic side because they have no candidate to energize the base,” Mr. Stainbrook said.

Steven Steel, the Lucas County Democratic chairman, declined to blame the FitzGerald campaign. He noted the low turnout in the 2013 mayoral race. And he said the confusion over the start of early voting, which was pushed back a week, could have played a part.

“It’s a little premature I would say. There’s still work to be done between now and election day,” he said.

One of those voting early Tuesday was Tim Partin, 55, a retired Jeep worker from Jerusalem Township. He rated his early-voting experience “great” as he emerged from the voting center. He said he voted early to make sure his vote got in.

“You never know what’s going to happen. I could get sick. Something could happen to me,” said Mr. Partin, who described himself as a Democrat and labor supporter.

First to vote was Yvonne Harper, executive director of the Lucas County Democratic Party, who said she was in line before 7 a.m. She extolled the ease and convenience, and said the 60 voters by lunchtime was a good sign.

Early voting takes place daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Contact Tom Troy: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058 or on Twitter @TomFTroy.

First Published October 8, 2014, 4:00 a.m.