Voter turnout jumps to 16.1 percent, board of elections reports

Deanna Heintschel, left, and Verna Middleton vote at the polling place inside the Reynolds Corners Branch Library in Toledo.

Voter turnout appeared to pick up this afternoon in today's local primary election, as election officials said 16.1 percent of registered voters had voted as of 5 p.m.

That turnout number is based on sampling done by the Lucas County Board of Elections at 12 voting locations, director Meghan Gallagher said. There are 114 voting locations. In the 2009 mayoral primary, 18.5 percent of registered voters cast ballots.

It was unclear what the margin of error is for the sample, and one of the voting locations is from Maumee.

Today is the primary election in Toledo and Maumee. The polls will be open for voting until 7:30 p.m.

The biggest races today are to narrow down candidate lists in the Toledo mayoral and city council races.

In the mayoral race, eight people are vying for two spots on the ballot. They are incumbent Mike Bell, Councilman D. Michael Collins, and city neighborhood specialist Alan Cox, all independents; evangelist Opal Covey, an unendorsed Republican; retired city finance worker Michael Konwinski, a Libertarian, and Lucas County Auditor Anita Lopez and Councilman Joe McNamara, both Democrats. Independent Don Gozdowski is certified as a write-in candidate.

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The top two vote-getters will move ahead to the Nov. 5 general election.

There are 17 people running for city council, and voters will pick the top 12 candidates to move on to the general election, when those 12 will ultimately vie for six at-large council seats.

Candidates are: incumbents Rob Ludeman, a Republican; Steven Steel, Shaun Enright, and Adam Martinez, all Democrats; independent challengers Bill Delaney, Theresa Gabriel, and Sandy Spang; Democratic challengers Jack Ford, Larry Sykes, and Joshua Fowler; and Republican challengers Alfonso Narvaez, Ernest McCarthy, Joe Celusta, James Nowak, James Martin, and Ron Johns, and Green candidate Sean Nestor.

Voters in Maumee today will decide if wine, mixed beverages, and liquor will be permitted for sale between 11 a.m. and midnight on Sundays inside and on the patio at Santa Ana, L.L.C., doing business as La Fiesta, 1406 Reynolds Rd.

Maumee residents also will select council candidates among Republican Brent Buehrer, Democrat Mike Coyle, Republican Timothy L. Pauken, and Republican Julie Rubini, who are the incumbents. They are being challenged by Democrat John M. Schafer, Democrat Hal R. Simon, Democrat Tom Wagener, Jr., Democrat Maria Zapiecki, and Libertarian Danny Cobb. The eight with the highest votes will proceed to Nov. 5.

Dan DeAngelis, deputy director of the Lucas County Board of Elections, said earlier today that precinct workers had not reported serious problems. Ms. Gallagher also reported no abnormalities so far.