WARREN — Voter turnout for the Nov. 5 general election fell below expectations, according to Stephanie Penrose, director of the Trumbull County Board of Elections. Certified results showed a voter turnout of 71.23%, down from the 74.6% recorded in the 2020 presidential election.

The official results did not reflect changes to the outcomes on election night.

“I expected a 75% turnout,” Penrose said. “I’m usually pretty good at predicting it, so I was a little disappointed with the lower turnout.”

Penrose attributed the decrease primarily to voter dissatisfaction with the presidential candidates.

While President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris dominated the national conversation, she noted that many voters were unaware of the third-party and write-in candidates listed on the ballot.

“I think there were a lot of people who weren’t necessarily happy with either choice,” Penrose said. “Unfortunately, they missed out on voting for local candidates who directly affect their everyday lives — commissioners, prosecutors and other officials whose decisions impact the community.”

Election night ran “smoothly” for Trumbull County, despite minor hiccups. Penrose highlighted occasional issues with old equipment, including outdated electronic poll books and printers, but said problems were minimal overall.

“We always have some hiccups on Election Day, but I was pleasantly surprised by how few problems we had this time,” Penrose said.

The board of elections also dealt with a small number of invalidated ballots, including about 28 mail-in ballots that were missing required identification or had mismatched signatures. Another 200 provisional ballots were invalidated because of the voters not being registered anywhere in Ohio.

Despite these issues, Penrose praised Ohio’s voting system as secure and accessible. “It’s easy to vote and hard to cheat,” she said.

The results further reflect the shifting political landscape in Trumbull County, a historically Democratic stronghold. Penrose expressed optimism about future improvements to the county’s election infrastructure, including new electronic poll books and a modernized voter registration system slated for implementation next year.

These updates could enhance the county’s ability to track voter demographics and election trends.

“As technology improves, we’ll have better insights into the voting process,” Penrose said.

For now, she highlighted the importance of local elections, urging residents to recognize the impact of down-ballot races.

“Local officials like commissioners, school boards, trustees — they’re the ones affecting your roads, your schools, your safety. Those races matter just as much, if not more, than the national ones,” she said.

As Trumbull County prepares for municipal elections in 2025, Penrose hopes to see stronger voter engagement, even as turnout is expected to fall dramatically to the lower 20th percentile, compared to this year’s general election.