Lawrence County voter turnout for Super Tuesday might be less than expected, election officials said.

Monday, March 06, 2000

Lawrence County voter turnout for Super Tuesday might be less than expected, election officials said.

Polls open for the primary election at 6:30 a.m. and don’t close until 7:30 p.m., but the day has drawn little attention around the state and country, Lawrence County Election Board director Mary Wipert said.

"We hope we get a high turnout but the news shows have never mentioned Super Tuesday until the last week or so," Mrs. Wipert said.

It had been New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina and other early primaries until then, she said.

"We think it will be light," she said. "If anything brings them out it will be the presidential race and the warm weather we are supposed to have."

Tuesday’s primary election features two locally contested races and four state contested races, in addition to the eight candidates voters will have to choose among for president.

The countywide commissioner races also might attract more attention to the polls, just as a school bond levy might in South Point, but there have been few yard signs and attention-getting advertising, Mrs. Wipert said.

"And in the primary election, people sometimes don’t vote because they don’t like to declare their politics," she added.

When you go to the polls Tuesday, you must ask for either a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Natural Law ballot.

The only non-partisan ballots that will be available will be in South Point or Lawrence Township, where there are levies.

Any voter unsure of where they must go to vote can call the election board today or Tuesday at 532-0444 to find out, Mrs. Wipert said.

Meanwhile, the election board is hoping against sick or uninterested poll workers.

There are 336 precinct workers and it’s sometimes hard to find replacements at the last minute, Mrs. Wipert said.

Here is the list of contested primary races as they will appear on Tuesday’s ballots:

DEMOCRATIC PARTY

– President: Bill Bradley, Al Gore, Lyndon H. Larouche Jr.

– U.S. Senator: Theodore S. Celeste, Richard Cordray, Marvin A. McMickle, Daniel I. Radakovich.

– Central committeeman, 17th District: Lawrence W. Brown, Thomas R. King.

– County commissioner: George R. Patterson, Hugh Scott.

– Sheriff: Russell Bennett Jr., Roy J. Smith.

– Ohio Supreme Court: Tim Black, James A. Brogan.

REPUBLICAN PARTY

– President: Gary Bauer, George W. Bush, Steve Forbes, Alan Lee Keyes, John McCain.

– U.S. Senator: Frank A. Cremeans, Mike DeWine, Ronald Richard Dickson.

– U.S. Rep., Sixth District: Mike Azinger, Jimmy Stewart.

– County commissioner: Carl Thomas Baker, Jason C. Stephens, Jack Welz.