Soggy Voting Day Keeps Crowds Away

Nothing like a steady rain to dampen a voter's enthusiasm.

Strongsville polling places weren't exactly seeing long lines this morning as a slim ballot and cold, damp weather kept voters away in droves.

"It's been pretty slow," said Kenneth Pew, polling location coordinator at . "I think the weather's probably had an impact."

By noon, only 134 people had cast ballots at that Ward 3 location.

Those who braved the raindrops had their reasons for doing so.

"The school levy brought me out," said Don Gruszczynski, who voted at Surrarrer with his wife, Pat, and made it clear he cast a ballot against the 9.9-mill issue.

Linn Niemira came out because the election concerned "the two most important things -- our council and our schools."

She voted in favor of the school levy. "We need it. Everything's going up in price," she said.

A woman who did not give her name said she came out to support her neighbor's City Council bid, referring to candidate Larry Frawley.

And Romeo DeMeo said he was at the polls because he will turn 82 soon and has not missed an election since he turned 21.

"Even in the hospital, when I was about to have surgery, they brought my ballot to me so I could vote," he said.

He, too, planned to support the school levy. "I believe every levy should be passed," he said. "There's a purpose for them."

The school district put a 9.9-mill continuing levy on the primary ballot, but officials recently said a brightening financial picture, in addition to cuts in employees and programs, mean the district can get by with a smaller issue.

The school board voted last week to place a 6.9-mill, four-year levy on the August special election ballot.

In addition to the school levy, voters in Wards 2, 3 and 4 and deciding City Council primaries today. The top two vote-getters in each race will advance to the November general election.

The polls are open till 7:30 tonight, according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

Check Strongsville Patch for up-to-the-minute election results as the ballots are counted.