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Since last Thursday, an additional 500 registered voters have cast absentee ballots in Newton County.
According to county clerk Kay Baum, that brings the total number of absentee ballots cast to at least 2,300, surpassing by 50 the total number of absentee votes cast in the 2004 presidential election.
And there’s still five days to cast an absentee ballot.
“It’s crazy in here right now,” said Baum in a mid-morning interview Tuesday. “There’s 12 people in line waiting to vote. We’ve been really busy. I think we will probably hit 3,000 at this rate.”
Wednesday is the last day voters can request an absentee ballot be sent to their home, Baum said.
In McDonald County, about 600 absentee ballots have been cast so far. In the 2004 presidential race, a total of 681 absentee votes were cast in McDonald County.
“They’ve been keeping us hopping, but that’s OK, because that’s what it’s all about,” said McDonald County clerk Barbara Williams.
Williams has had to hire an experienced temporary worker to help with the absentee voting. And like Baum, she has seen a dozen people lined up in her office at one time Tuesday morning.
There are some stipulations to voting absentee, Baum said. Those casting an absentee ballot must either be out of the county on election day, have physical limitations which prevent them from voting or be a caregiver to someone who does, be incarcerated or be an election judge.
“We don’t have early voting like they do in some states, but a lot of people want to early vote, like they do in Jasper County,” Baum said. “Jasper County doesn’t have anything we don’t have. They don’t have early voting. It hasn’t been approved by the legislature. That’s come up a couple of times, but it’s been turned down.”
Three neighboring states — Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma — do have what’s known as “early voting,” where voters can go to the county clerk’s office and, without offering an excuse why they cannot vote on election day — cast their ballot. Currently, 31 states offer early voting.
However, those meeting the criteria for casting absentee ballots in Missouri can do so for the remainder of this week. Baum’s office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday for absentee voting, and those casting absentee ballots can also do so until 5 p.m. on Monday.
Since last Thursday, an additional 500 registered voters have cast absentee ballots in Newton County.
According to county clerk Kay Baum, that brings the total number of absentee ballots cast to at least 2,300, surpassing by 50 the total number of absentee votes cast in the 2004 presidential election.
And there’s still five days to cast an absentee ballot.
“It’s crazy in here right now,” said Baum in a mid-morning interview Tuesday. “There’s 12 people in line waiting to vote. We’ve been really busy. I think we will probably hit 3,000 at this rate.”
Wednesday is the last day voters can request an absentee ballot be sent to their home, Baum said.
In McDonald County, about 600 absentee ballots have been cast so far. In the 2004 presidential race, a total of 681 absentee votes were cast in McDonald County.
“They’ve been keeping us hopping, but that’s OK, because that’s what it’s all about,” said McDonald County clerk Barbara Williams.
Williams has had to hire an experienced temporary worker to help with the absentee voting. And like Baum, she has seen a dozen people lined up in her office at one time Tuesday morning.
There are some stipulations to voting absentee, Baum said. Those casting an absentee ballot must either be out of the county on election day, have physical limitations which prevent them from voting or be a caregiver to someone who does, be incarcerated or be an election judge.
“We don’t have early voting like they do in some states, but a lot of people want to early vote, like they do in Jasper County,” Baum said. “Jasper County doesn’t have anything we don’t have. They don’t have early voting. It hasn’t been approved by the legislature. That’s come up a couple of times, but it’s been turned down.”
Three neighboring states — Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma — do have what’s known as “early voting,” where voters can go to the county clerk’s office and, without offering an excuse why they cannot vote on election day — cast their ballot. Currently, 31 states offer early voting.
However, those meeting the criteria for casting absentee ballots in Missouri can do so for the remainder of this week. Baum’s office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday for absentee voting, and those casting absentee ballots can also do so until 5 p.m. on Monday.
