The Seven Voters of Lake County Who Will Pick Your Next President

Lake County, Ohio has become a good bellwether of how the swing state will vote, and thus, is also a fairly good predictor of presidential elections. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Lake County, Ohio has most closely matched the swing state's voting patterns in nearly every election since 1960. Seven voters coming from different backgrounds, and bringing very different concerns to the table, discuss what's swaying them.

Each photograph below links to these voters describing, in their own words, how their political perspectives have been shaped by — and are shaping — this election.

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  Marisa Cornachio lives in Willoughby, Ohio. Born and raised in Lake County, Marisa is an attorney and adjunct professor at Lakeland Community College. She is also a special prosecutor for Lake County. Marisa and her husband have three children under the age of five. She and her husband are registered Republicans.

  If Marisa had to cast her vote on Saturday, October 6, 2012, she would have voted for Mitt Romney.

   

   

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  Al Jones lives in Concord, Ohio. Al began his career as a contractor, and he’s now a Deacon at St. John’s Baptist Church and sits on the boards of several nonprofits in the Lake County area, including the local NAACP and Hola. He and his wife are registered Democrats, as are his children and grandchildren.

  Ohio is one of the 32 states that allows for early voting. Al has already cast his ballot, and he voted for Barack Obama.

   

   

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  Joe Tirpak has lived in Mentor, Ohio since 1967. A great-grandfather, Joe works as a human resources management consultant. He is a registered Republican and his wife is an Independent.

  If Joe had to cast his vote on Saturday, October 6, 2012, he would have voted for Mitt Romney.

   

   

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  John Rampe lives in Willoughby Hills, Ohio. A registered Republican and father of three grown children, John is the president of Torque Transmission Company, a manufacturing business.

  If Joe had to cast his vote on Saturday, October 6, 2012, he would have voted for Mitt Romney, with some hesitation.

   

   

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  Kiarra Jones (no relation to Al Jones) is a student at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, where she studies international business and sports management and is a member of the basketball team. Kiarra is a registered Independent, and 2012 marks her first time voting in a presidential election.

  If Kiarra had to cast her vote on Saturday, October 6, 2012, she would have voted for Barack Obama.

   

   

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  Kim Lobe lives in Willoughby Hills, Ohio. Born and raised in Lake County, Kim is a development director at Laurel School, a private girls school in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Kim and her husband are registered Republicans, and her three, college-age sons are registered Democrats.

  If Kim had to cast her vote on Saturday, October 6, 2012, she would have voted for Mitt Romney.

   

   

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  Veronica Dahlberg lives in Ashtabula County, Ohio, but works in Painesville, Ohio, in Lake County. As the executive director of Hola, a nonprofit organization focused on Latino outreach, advocacy and community organizing, Veronica works closely with the immigrant community in Lake County. Veronica is registered as a Democrat with three sons, one a college-age registered Democrat, one a college-age registered Republican, and one in the sixth grade.

  If Veronica had to cast her vote on Saturday, October 6, 2012, she would have voted for Barack Obama, with some hesitation.

   

   

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  This is part one of our Lake County voters series. This aired on The Takeaway Monday, October 8, 2012.

   

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  This is part two of our Lake County voters series. This aired on The Takeaway Tuesday, October 9, 2012.

   

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  This is part three of our Lake County voters series. This aired on The Takeaway Wednesday, October 10, 2012.