Voting began Wednesday at the Lucas County Board of Elections for the March 17 primary, amid indications that interest in mail-in voting is down this year, while in-person early voting was off to a strong start.

The early-voting period’s start coincided with news conferences held by the Lucas County Democratic Party and a committee advocating for passage of a renewal levy for the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority to appeal for voter support.

Tim Monaco, deputy elections director, said that as of 3:30 p.m., 122 people had voted. Daily comparisons were not available with the early vote for the last presidential primary, which was in 2016, but in the first three days of that election a total of just over 300 voted.

He said the elections board mailed out 2,022 requested absentee voter ballots for the first day of voting, compared with more than 3,000 that were mailed out on the first day of the 2016 election.

“It seems a little down for the presidential election,” Mr. Monaco said, while predicting increasing voter activity during the coming weeks. “It might be due to the fact that this is a much more contentious primary than we’re used to. A lot of people might be waiting to see who’s still in the race by the time they vote.”

President Trump is unopposed in Ohio for the Republican nomination for president. The Democratic choices include former Vice President Joe Biden; former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg; former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg; U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Hawaii U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and billionaire activist Tom Steyer.

Voters will also decide some local tax issues and choose nominees for congressional, statehouse, and county offices to run in the general election.

Residents can vote early at the Early Vote Center, 1301 Monroe St., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until March 6, and until 7 p.m. March 9-13. The center will be open for voting from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 7 and March 14; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. March 15, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 16, before Election Day.

Mr. Monaco said this is the first presidential election in which new voting machines compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act are in use. The machines include a keypad that offers large buttons and braille options, plug-in options for headphones, and breathing apparatus.

The TARTA Campaign Committee urged voter approval of a 10-year renewal of the transit authority’s 1.0-mill levy, which costs the owners of $100,000 homes $30 in annual tax.

The renewal is intended to preserve one of the transit authority’s two local subsidies while its leaders organize a new effort to switch to a sales tax for transit funding in Lucas County. 

Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken said residents have supported the property tax for 30 years.

“We’re making progress but we’re not done yet. If we don’t pass this it’ll be a stumbling block,” he said. Mr. Gerken said public transportation is key to the city’s progress.

The Lucas County Democratic Party celebrated the start of early voting and urged support of the party’s endorsed candidates.

The Lucas County Board of Elections is still looking for polling-place workers. Interested persons may contact the elections aboard at 419-213-4001.

First Published February 19, 2020, 10:18 p.m.