![People hold campaign signs outside the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections in 2016. [Nick Castele / ideastream]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dc244cf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1200x675+0+0/resize/840x472!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F23%2F2016boardofelections.jpg)
The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections is predicting higher voter turnout this year than in the midterm four years ago.
The board expects 48 to 50 percent of registered voters in the county to cast ballots this year — an improvement over 2014, when about 40 percent showed up.
Director Pat McDonald said this election is shaping up to look more like the midterms in 2010, during President Obama’s first term. Voter turnout that year was 44 percent.
“Voters of both political parties feel very strong about the outcome of the election,” McDonald said, “and the leaders are working hard to turn out their voters.”
In addition to a competitive race for governor, he said, there’s a statewide ballot issue on drug penalties that’s been the subject of TV ads.
“It’s probably one of the most publicized midterm elections we’ve had in a long time.” McDonald added, “You can’t go anywhere without someone talking about President Trump or Congressional races or the Kavanaugh issue.”
A news release from the board said it’s the first time in seven years that the number of registered voters in the county had exceeded 900,000.
