Why are Cuyahoga County residents waiting in line to vote early? The Wake Up to Friday, November 1, 2024

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At the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Thursday, voters waited about 45 minutes at lunchtime to cast their ballots early for Tuesday’s election.

Most of Ohio’s 8 million registered voters still vote on Election Day, and in Cuyahoga County, more early voters chose to vote by mail than in person.

But more than 45,000 of them have come to vote early in person.

Why?

Some told Molly Walsh they weren’t sure the post office would deliver their ballot by the deadline. Others feared long queues at their polling stations on election day. And “as ads bombard TV screens and social media feeds, some just want it over with.”

– Laura

Browns vs. Los Angeles Chargers: 1 p.m. Sunday, Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland. TV: WOIO channel 19. Radio: WKRK FM/92.3, WNCX FM/98.5, WKNR AM/850.

Northeast Ohio Weather Forecast: Sunshine, then showers this weekend

Early voting: In Cuyahoga County, about 168,000 people have voted in the 2024 election so far — more than 45,000 of them in person — with three days of early voting remaining, Molly Walsh reports.

Model Law: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office asked a federal judge Thursday to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the Browns to test the “Modell Law,” a state law designed to prevent teams from leaving cities that subsidized them with taxpayer money. Adam Ferrise reports Yost’s request to U.S. District Judge David Ruiz in Cleveland says his office should be involved in the lawsuit because it involves a state law that forces taxpayer-funded teams to take certain steps before they can leave.

Today in Ohio: More than 60% of Ohio nurses who left bedside care did so because of a heavy patient load, and about 65% of bedside nurses experienced workplace violence in the past 12 months. We’re talking about an Ohio study that looked at the impact of understaffing in Ohio’s hospitals on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.

Polling places: Voters in 22 precincts in five Cuyahoga County communities will cast ballots in new polling places on Tuesday for the 2024 presidential election, Robert Higgs reports. The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections issued a reminder Thursday to some voters in Cleveland, Maple Heights, North Royalton, Shaker Heights and South Euclid that their polling places have been changed.

Citizenship proof: A federal judge has rejected a legal challenge to new rules requiring naturalized Ohioans to show proof of citizenship in certain cases before they can vote at the polls, Jeremy Pelzer reports. The revised rules were introduced earlier this month by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office to solve a fairly narrow problem: allowing newly naturalized citizens to cast a vote even when they haven’t yet been able to get a driver’s license or state ID card that does not have the word “non-citizen” printed on it.

Drilling rights: A state watershed conservancy district voted to sell drilling rights under 2,257 acres of Leesville Lake in Carroll County for about $12.4 million plus 20% in royalties to Encino Energy, a Houston-based oil and gas company. Jake Zuckerman reports that the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District board voted last week to allow its staff to execute the lease, which has yet to be finalized.

CMSD charges: The two Cleveland Metropolitan School District tax questions on Tuesday’s ballot will help the district at a time when it faces a funding gap, the district says, in large part because of one-time federal coronavirus funds that have been committed and spent. But the bigger picture shows money problems that extend beyond COVID-19 funds, Laura Hancock reports.

EV recycling: As part of an effort to promote the recycling of electric vehicle components, the US Department of Energy is awarding a $2 million grant to the University of Akron, reports Sabrina Eaton.

Famous supply: A vacant storage facility is getting new life and bringing new jobs to Maple Heights, thanks to support from the Cuyahoga County Council, Kaitlin Durbin reports. The agency is considering a $2 million loan to help Famous Distribution, more commonly known as Famous Supply, complete the renovation of the warehouse at 5700 Lee Road South into its main distribution center and training facility.

Drought: Every time Northeast Ohio thinks it out, drought pulls it back in, reports Zachary Smith. While four counties are still in normal conditions regionally, two Greater Cleveland counties have been affected by moderate drought again.

Natural tires: A primary ingredient in tires is butadiene, a chemical compound derived from fossil fuels. But if Bridgestone Americas is successful in a pilot project, the company will make butadiene from ethanol, which not only is produced from corn in the USA, but also from sugar cane in Brazil, reports Peter Krouse.

COVID: After six weeks of steady downward movement, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio remained largely unchanged, going from 2,751 last week to 2,779 this week, Julie Washington reports.

Anti-Semitic graffiti: A suspect accused of spray painting Orange homes is denying the charges, and his attorney has asked the village’s mayor to apologize for a rush to judgment. Ryan Kellogg, 37, of Orange, was arrested Sunday after being accused of spray painting two homes, one with a swastika, in the village, Lucas Daprile reports.

School parking lot shooting: An off-duty Cleveland police sergeant was charged Thursday in a shooting in the parking lot of Riverview Elementary School in Painesville, an incident that panicked children and their parents just as the day began. Alexander Sinclair, 34, of Painesville, is charged with aggravated assault, kidnapping and discharging a firearm on an unaffordable premise.

Deportation: More than 160 people with felonies sought to have their cases expunged or sealed in Summit County this week, Olivia Mitchell reports. Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich and Clerk of Court Tavia Galonski had the county’s first eviction day Tuesday. Officials reviewed old convictions to determine whether the cases can be sealed or expunged from residents’ records.

Doctor stabbed down: An Independence man has pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted murder in the earlier stabbing of a doctor, Lucas Daprile reports. Jason Halasz, 25, entered the plea before Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Cassandra Collier Williams on Wednesday. In return, the prosecutor dropped two charges of serious violence.

Holiday cookies: With the holidays right around the corner, we knew it was time to ask about cookies and where to get them. Our Best Of team narrowed down the field to a top 20 list of nominated spots. Now is the time to vote.

Thanksgiving to-go: For those interested in placing to-go orders ahead of Thanksgiving Day, Alex Darus has a list of 22 restaurants offering pickup options for the holiday dinner.

Frank Lloyd Wright: Built in 1908, the Westcott House is an excellent example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s signature Prairie style design. The house, which is open for tours year-round, is one reason to make the trip to Springfield, Ohio, Susan Glaser reports.

Things to do: To provide some inspiration for this post-Halloween weekend, Alex Darus has 19 things to do in Greater Cleveland, including concerts, theater performances and more.

Don’t forget, you can always find the latest Cleveland news by visiting cleveland.com. If you appreciate the hard work of Cleveland journalists, consider subscribing to cleveland.com.

— Curated by Director of Content Laura Johnston with contributions by Cliff Pinckard.

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