Voters are heading to the polls today to cast ballots in the 2013 General Election. The polls close at 7:30 p.m. Voters in Columbus will decide the fate of a school levy, a bond package, and races for City Council and School Board seats. Franklin County Board of Elections spokesperson Ben Piscatelli says it's hard to predict today's voter turnout.
Piscatelli says if requests for absentee ballots are any indicator of in-person voting, turnout could be low. 21-thousand requests were received this year, compared to 80-thousand in the most recent odd-year election. Piscatelli says there are 364-thousand voters in the Columbus school district, but only 14-thousand requested absentee ballots. He also notes there is a difference in the way those ballots were handled this year.
In other races today, voters in Berkshire Township will decide whether to overturn their trustees' decision to rezone land for an outlet mall. A levy in Buckeye Lake would fund fire services. Gahanna voters will decide the fate of a proposed income tax hike for city services, along with a tax credit for residents who work in another city. Photo IDs are not required in Ohio, but a driver's license, government ID or military ID is acceptable at the polling place. A current utility bill, bank statement or pay stub are also acceptable. Voters who lack any of those forms of identification will be required to cast a provisional ballot.