Yesterday’s steady rainfall didn’t keep Columbus from voting on state candidates and issues, but there were still many voters missing from the polls in the 43201 ZIP code area.

At Indianola Alternative Elementary School, at Indianola and East 16th avenues, the number of registered voters was not given, but presiding judge Alice Jordan said a total of 77 people had voted by 4:45 p.m.

“It only takes a couple minutes if they know what they’re doing,” Jordan said. “The registration should be no problem either.”

She said although they got a rush of voters around 3:30 p.m., the rate of voter turnout had been off and on during the day. She said she didn’t think the weather had an effect on voter turnout.

Voting also dragged at Columbus Fire House No. 7.

Of the 1,300 registered in the Fire House’s precinct, only about 200 had shown up to vote by 5 p.m.

Presiding judge Vera White said she thought the weather, as well as low accessibility, might have deterred voters from coming out to the polls.

“This (voting) area’s not accessible to handicapped voters,” she said, referring to the steep, narrow staircase that leads down to the basement of the firehouse, where the voting booths were set up.

She said individual voting time depended on the person voting, but the usual time was about three to five minutes.

Michael Ratliff, a first-time Ohio voter this year, voted earlier in the day and said the candidates were especially important to him.

“I voted for who I hope can help the city, and those who need it,” he said.

Ratliff said he is considering running for an office himself.

“There’s just so many people – homeless, children, schools – who need help,” he said.

At King Avenue United Methodist Church, voting was “steady but slow,” said Caroline Jordan Shurr, presiding judge.

King Avenue also saw small voting numbers. Out of 980 total registered in that precinct, only 155 people came to vote.

Shurr estimated they were at about 15 percent of capacity. She said she thinks it should be higher.

“I think if people sit there and gripe about issues, then they should do something about it,” she said.

“We have certain judges we like – it’s important to us to vote for the candidates representing the issues important to us,” said Erin Astley, a medical student.

Astley’s husband, Brendan Astley, a medical student in Toledo, said medical issues were important to both of them, including the medical malpractice issue.

On campus, senior presiding judge Toria Bennett saw a steady stream of voters at Ohio Union.

She also said voting only takes about five minutes.

“In the 25 years I’ve been doing this, I never had a need to pull someone out (of a booth),” she said. “I’ve never seen a need for a time limit.”

It’s the paperwork that takes the most time, she said.

However, she said the voting turnout was high yesterday.

“This is the best turnout we’ve had since the presidential election,” she said.

She also said since the issues and candidates were statewide, not just local, there was more participation from students.

Joe FayKosh, a freshman in history, said he has always loved politics.

“I’ve wanted to vote since I could read,” he said.

He said one reason he came to vote was to vote against Taft and the tuition hikes.

Natalie Vella, a sophomore in English, said she been interested in the electoral process almost all her life. Her mother is the executive director of the Dayton sector of Kids Voting, a national organization aimed at educating children on voting and getting them involved in the process to prompt them to vote when they become eligible.

“I’ve been involved in the electoral process since I was ten,” Vella said. “I think it’s extremely important.”

She said she was focused on voting for the Supreme Court candidates and interested in Issue 1.