After reading through the final unofficial elections results by precinct in Lake County, it was interesting to see how Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama did in the two communities where they appeared to campaign.

Basically, in each community where they appeared for a campaign rally they lost.

Romney visited Lake Erie College in Painesville on Sept. 14 and Obama visited Mentor High School on Nov. 3.

Despite Romney’s appearance in the city, Painesville residents tended to vote for Obama giving him 3,976 votes to 2,114 for Romney. That means Obama won the city by 1,862 votes.

To compare, despite Obama’s appearance just three days before the election, Mentor voters sided more with Romney giving him 13,583 votes to 11,266 for Obama. That gave Romney a 2,317 victory in Mentor.

Overall in Lake County, Romney had 57,150 votes or 49.91 percent to 55,219 votes or 48.22 percent for Obama.

That translates to Romney carrying Lake County by a 1,931 votes, but it wasn't enough for him to win Ohio.

John Arthur Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah

With President Barack Obama set to speak Saturday morning at Mentor High School, campaign officials urged voters to cast their ballots early.

Robert Schiebli, vice-chairman of the Lake County Democratic Party, spoke during a press conference Friday afternoon at the Obama campaign’s Mentor field office.

He urged people not to forget their right to vote and to support the president.

“We’re fighting to restore the values that built the largest middle class and the strongest economy the world has ever known — the promise that hard work will pay off, responsibility will be rewarded, and that everyone gets a fair shot, does their fair share and plays by the same rules,” Schiebli said.

Obama’s appearance comes just three days before the election as both Republican candidate Mitt Romney and Obama know how important Ohio is to each’s chance for victory.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner, R-Ohio, will begin a statewide get-out-the-vote bus tour on Saturday in support of Romney, Josh Mandel and Ohio Republicans running for Congress.

Boehner will appear at Lake County Republican Party headquarters in Painesville for an event that begins at 6 p.m.

At each stop, Boehner will thank volunteers, tout local candidates, and draw a clear contrast between Romney’s plan to create jobs.

State Rep. Ron Young, R-Leroy Township, will also give a speech at the Boehner event in Painesville and he plans to discuss the relationship between the Declaration of Independence and this year’s elections.

In-person absentee voting is set to conclude Monday as voters may go to their respective county elections boards from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday.

John Arthur Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah

Curiosity is what brought Becky Moorman to a get tickets Thursday at President Barack Obama’s campaign field office in Mentor.

Moorman, a Mentor-on-the-Lake resident, considers herself an independent voter, so she stood in line to get a chance to see Obama for herself Saturday morning during a rally at Mentor High School.

She believes Ohio will be a key for the presidential election.

“I think it means Ohio is a weighing factor,” Moorman said.

For much of the day, lines extended out the door of the Obama campaign’s Mentor field office, 7537 Mentor Ave.

Deb Druhot of Willoughby is a volunteer with the campaign at the Mentor facility.

Druhot and other campaign volunteers are excited to have the president speak in Lake County.

“It means a lot,” she said. “There have been a lot of people in Lake County working really hard on this, we’re pretty pumped.”

Doors for the event open at 9 a.m. Saturday and a ticket is required. Tickets were distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at this location and were to be distributed until they run out.

Another message volunteers continue to work on is to encourage as many people as possible to vote through Tuesday, Druhot said.

Willoughby resident Jamie Barnes said this will be her first chance to see the president in person.

“I have missed every other opportunity to see President Obama and I would like to participate in this,” Barnes said. “It’s very close to voting and he knows if he doesn’t get the state he doesn’t have much of a chance.”

Other field offices that were distributing tickets are located at 35560 Vine St. in Eastlake; 216 E. Main St. in Painesville; 5192 Chillicothe Road in South Russell; and 2205 Lake Ave. in Ashtabula.

John Arthur Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman will visit Mentor and Chardon on Friday afternoon as part of the Commit to Mitt Early Vote Express Tour Bus, according to Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney’s campaign.

Portman, R-Ohio, will appear at the Mentor Victory Center, 7488 Mentor Ave., at 1 p.m. and later will head to Geauga County Republican Party Headquarters, 11993 Ravenna Road, Chardon, for a 2:30 p.m. appearance.


Portman plans to lay out the choice he believes voters face in November between two very different visions for our nation’s future.

At each stop, Republican supporters will hold Commit to Mitt Early Voting events and make phone calls from the bus reminding people to vote early or return their absentee ballots. The Early Vote Express tour kicked off October 2 and has since visited 63 counties.

The senator who has actively been an active part of Romney campaign efforts will also make stops in Avon Lake, Fairview Park and Kent as part of the effort to encourage Ohioans to vote early for the GOP ticket.

John Arthur Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah