The 2010 political campaign is about over. But already, thousands of voters in Ohio have cast ballots through early voting. At the Franklin County Board of elections on East Broad Street on Sunday a steady stream of voters showed up to make their preferences,including Manuel DuBose of Columbus. DuBose said he wanted to make sure he voted on the Columbus Library Levy and the proposed charter amendment. But he also senses a gravityto this midterm election where statewide offices and the control of congress are at stake.
"I feel this is just as important race as the presidential race because I'm not against no person of the United States but republicans are trying to do things that I'm not for."
Paul Stewart of Columbus says he particularly wanted to vote the top of the ticket.
"The Governor. I just think, I mean, Strickland had some more, I mean he had enough time to do better but I just think we need to give him a little more time to see what happens. Plus, Kasich, he was with Wall Street. You know, I don't deal with that."
Several minutes after DuBose and Stewart exited the polls, Keith Davis showed up at the Board of Elections. He says there was no way he would miss out on this election
"Well I'm working out of town this week and I wanted to make sure I got an opportunity to vote."
Davis tuned in to the political campaigns. Like Stewart he says the race at the top of the ticket is too important to ignore.
"The reason I'm here to vote is because I don't agree with the change that the country is currently taking. Q: Is there a particular race or several races that brought you to voting today? The Governor's race. Strickland has not performed the way I anticipated. I'm definitely more Republican than Democrat on most issues. I do vote individually though. And I definitely think Kasich has a better background.
On the perimeter of the parking lot at the Board of Elections, voters were offered fliers on local candidates and issues. Tina Proctor offered her assessment of campaign 2010.
"I think people need to calm down. Its a situation that we're in right now in America where we just have to be patient."
Leah Hout of Columbus had a more personal reason for casting a vote. She says her aunt has been on her case about voting this year.
"She's been encouraging me to come out and do early voting for a couple of days and I actually got tired of her asking me so I said I'm going to go down on Sunday and do it."
David Schubert says he's doing his own get out the vote campaign
"I think people are very lax and just going to try blow this one off. I think. So I'm doing my part to get everybody up and out, out to vote."
Schubert's personal get out the vote campaign included taking a two and a half hour trip Sunday morning to pick up his college age son, Scott, at Miami University and bringing him back to Columbus to vote.
"Dad calls me up and he says, Scott I'm coming to pick you up at 8 a.m. on Sunday and I said no you're not you're coming to pick me up at ten on Sunday and I will come home and vote So, if you don't vote you don't have anything to complain about. So that's why I' came back."
But the younger Schubert says few of his college-aged friends are politically engaged this year unlike two years ago.
"You know a lot of my friends even at school aren't voting and they voted back in the presidential election and everybody was really hyped up about it. Obviously, because this country is going through a lot of major changes right now."
Today is the last day of early voting at the Franklin County Board of Elections. Polls open tomorrow morning at 6:30 ..Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner predicts when all the ballots are counted about 52 per cent of eligible voters will cast a ballot.
Tom Borgerding WOSU News