CINCINNATI — Voting is underway again in Ohio. Early voting began Tuesday for the May primary, and while all the races are local, the pandemic is still impacting the polls.

Hamilton County Board of Elections poll worker Tyrone Patrick knows firsthand the work that goes into preparing for elections. He was instrumental in working the polls last October and November for the presidential election. 

“I get 300, maybe 400 people — you’re talking 3,000 people coming in per day — to vote and that was overwhelming,” said Patrick. 

Close to 80,000 Hamilton County residents came out to vote last year for the primary election.

The risk of getting COVID-19 was high, but it was a risk Patrick said he was willing to take. 

“When the board of elections called me to come to work, and they said they had these protocols in place, I was excited because I wanted to ensure that the public had the opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice,” he said. 

Hamilton County Board of Elections Director Sherry Poland shared the same sentiments. She said she and her staff were working hard to address and solve the challenges that arose last year, one of which was managing an all vote-by-mail primary.

“That was difficult for our staff,” said Poland. “We had never conducted an all vote by mail election before in Ohio and had no time.”

So they had to go the extra mile to get it done. 

“Ordering enough envelopes to mail the ballots back and forth,” she said. “Working closely with the post office to make sure that the mail was moving as quickly as possible and educating the voters on the how the process works.”

Now that the presidential election has come and gone, the board of elections is now focused on this primary. One change people here at Hamilton County can expect is a vaccination area on site.

“Voters who live in the jurisdictions that are holding the elections in May can sort of have a one-stop shop to get vaccinated and vote,” she said. “But I do remind everyone although you don’t need an appointment to vote, you do need one to get a vaccine.

For those counties who are hosting elections there are several issues and mayoral candidates on the ballot. On Tuesday afternoon, only a couple dozen showed up to vote in Hamilton County where voter turnout for the primary elections are usually low.

“Unfortunately this election, because the fanfare is over the last election, people have kind of gotten comfortable and are satisfied and going into this routine,” he said.

Patrick is optimistic that more Hamilton County residents will show up to vote for the primary May 4. It’s a privilege that he said people should utilize. 

“This election to me as just as important because it’s about local issues that affect you directly,” he said. “And I wish our public could understand that every election is important.”