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What to expect at the polls in Cuyahoga County on Election Day

Nearly 63,000 residents voted early in Cuyahoga County, breaking the previous records in 2020 and 2008. But the bulk of the voters will head to the polls on Tuesday.

CLEVELAND — A record number of voters had already cast their ballot early by Monday in Cuyahoga County, but the bulk of voters will head to the polls on Election Day.

“Know that you can go to the polls and feel safe and have a good process,” Cuyahoga County Board Of Elections Director Tony Perlatti said.

Nearly 63,000 residents voted early in the county, breaking the previous records in 2020 and 2008 by around 10,000 ballots. But the county also saw 30,000 fewer mail-in ballots requested. Perlatti said they expect to make that up with an even bigger turnout on Election Day. If you have not returned your absentee ballot, the postmark deadline was Monday. But you can still turn it in at the drop box at your county board of elections office until polls close.

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If you are going in person, expect to “wait a little bit. Sometimes you get used to going to your polling place and you’re in and you’re out. That’s not going to happen this election and the reason it’s not going to happen is because it’s a presidential election.”

Perlatti also said don’t be surprised to see people at your polling location who aren’t there to vote or work the polls. He said both major parties have applied to have observers at all of the county’s 289 polling locations.

“They are observers. They are there just to watch,” he said. “And then if they see something that seems to be—questionable to them—and most of the time it’s because they don’t understand processes like our poll workers do—they then have individuals that they call and then those select people call to the board. And we have people the who take those calls and see what is going on.”

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As long as you’re in line by 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, you will be able to vote. When polls finally close Perlatti said the first ballots they tabulate will be the more 218,000 they’ve already received from early voting and by mail.

“The rumors that those don’t count or only if its close are just that—they’re rumors and they are false. It is what is first reported,” Perlatti said.

You can expect updates every half hour or so after that but Perlatti warns don’t expect 100% of Cuyahoga County’s results by midnight.

“Well, gee! Geauga County they’re 100% at 9:30. Great for them. They are the size of the city of Parma, and that is just one of 59 communities we have,” he said.

“Accuracy over speed and we will not compromise that.”

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