There are just two weeks left until the March 19 primary election in Ohio, and early voting has been well underway.
Voters will be weighing in on big ticket races, like U.S. president and U.S. Senate, but there are also many statewide and local races, as well as local issues to prepare for.
On Tuesday's "Sound of Ideas," we'll run through what Northeast Ohio voters may see on the ballot, and some of the major local races our news team will be covering. We'll also talk about an initiative Ideastream is involved with called "America Amplified" that is hoping to help residents navigate the voting process.
Plus, last year, a brand new voting law took effect that changed voting ID requirements, early voting and absentee voting schedules, and deadlines.
Recently, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections reported that out of more than 32,000 absentee ballot requests they received by Feb. 23, more than 2,000 were deemed invalid, mostly because no party was selected on the request, and Ohio's primaries are partisan. Other reasons for rejection included not being registered at the address on file, and not providing a date of birth.
We'll talk to the head of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, who will answer questions about the logistics of voting.
Later in this hour, we'll discuss how a pair of researchers at Baldwin Wallace University last fall found that Cuyahoga County's forested land shrunk from over 98% in the 1800s to 21% today.
Some of the causes included land cleared for agricultural use at first and eventually, increasing development as cities grew.
They researchers said they are hoping this report will help inform future conservation efforts and some are already using it.
Ideastream reporters recently visited different neighborhoods across the region where initiatives are already underway to increase the regional tree canopy.
We'll to one of those reporters and an expert about these local efforts to increase the region's tree canopy.
Guests:
- Anna Huntsman, Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
- Stephanie Czeckalinski, Deputy Editor, News, Ideastream Public Media
- Jen Miller, Executive Director, League of Women Voters of Ohio
- Zaria Johnson, Environmental reporter, Ideastream Public Media
- Jack Daugherty, Neighborhood Stabilization Director, Mahoning Valley TreeCorps
