Mahoning Valley - It's an off-year election for the 2023 May Primaries. In the Mahoning Valley, there are a few incumbent mayors up for re-election and some restaurants looking to add liquor sales to their menus. 

Local board of elections directors and the Ohio Secretary of State explain it's important to vote in every election, whether it's big or small. 

"It's a real light election so far," said Tom McCabe, Deputy Director with Mahoning County Boards of Elections. 

"We've seen record turnout in 2018, 2020, 2022," explained Frank LaRose, Ohio Secretary of State. "All of those even-numbered years, when we're voting for Governor, presidents, Congress and U.S. Senate and then we see this very small turnout in local elections."

With only a few contested races, Mahoning Valley voters might not even have a ballot to vote on depending on which jurisdiction they live in. 

McCabe said they're expecting a 10-12% voter turnout Tuesday.

"I've been here almost 26 years now and this is definitely one of the smaller elections," McCabe said. He explained that shouldn't deter voters from casting their ballots.

McCabe told 21 News some citizens who tried to vote early were turned away when they learned they didn't have any ballot based on where they live. 

"Some of these races affect your life a lot more than these national races," McCabe explained. "So it's who represents you locally, what taxes you're paying, and what you're supporting at the local level."

Jurisdictions including Austintown, Boardman and Springfield have liquor laws on their ballot. In Austintown, Cracker Barrel wants to sell liquor on Sundays. And in Springfield, come fall when you visit the Maze Craze on Woodworth Road you could be served alcohol on Sundays if approved. 

In Boardman, people living there are voting to allow liquor to be sold at a new establishment that could come to the former Golden Corral location across from Boardman Park. Another Broken Egg is the name of the new restaurant which has 7 locations in Ohio.

Bazetta Township is seeking a 2-mill continuing additional levy for fire and EMS. Girard is seeking a .5 mill, 5-year additional levy for parks and rec. Lordstown is seeking a .5 percent income tax increase for fire and EMS. The City of Warren has the charter commission debate up on their ballot.

"Who works at the courthouse or the schoolhouse probably has a bigger impact on our daily lives," LaRose explained. "Those are the decisions that we're making
when we have our local primaries and this November when we have our local general elections. We're deciding who are the men and women that are going to decide how our children are educated in our schools, how our communities are governed, and how justice is dispensed in the courts."

Check on your county's Board of Elections website to see if you have a ballot before you head to the polls.

For example, only 1/3 of Mahoning County's precincts are open. Polls are open Tuesday from 6:30 am until 7:30 pm.