Early voting numbers are significantly higher than previous elections, and the Lamar County elections office has catered to the influx.
During the first week of voting, 5,790 voters converged to the Lamar County Services Building, 231 Lamar Ave., Amanda McCloure with the county’s elections administration, credits some of those high numbers to curbside voting.
“Curbside voting has been a huge hit this year,” she said. “We’ve tried to advertise it more with the pandemic and people who are not able to get out of their cars or have a hard time. People are loving it.”
Vote by the numbers for the week of Oct. 12-16:
- Monday: CLOSED
- Tuesday: 1,888
- Wednesday: 1,361
- Thursday: 1,404
- Friday: 1,137
FIRST WEEK OF EARLY VOTING TOTALS: 5,790
As curbside voting has been implemented in previous elections, McCloure said there are now six green cones designating curbside voting.
“We have had several people vote curbside, and a lot of feedback about how pleased they are with it,” she said.
How to vote curbside
When in one of the designated curbside voting spots at the Lamar County Services Building, 231 Lamar Ave., call the phone number listed on the signs and follow instructions from there.
McCloure said someone with the elections office will come out to the vehicle, ask for a photo ID and check them into the office’s check-in system, “just as if they were voting in line.”
After they are checked in, they take the signature sheet outside, along with the voter’ ballot specified by precinct. They then step away from the vehicle to let the voter cast their vote privately. The ballot is then placed onto the clipboard under the signature sheet and taken and placed into the correct precinct box.
“There is nothing unsafe about this,” she said. “We want everyone to be able to vote and have every opportunity available that we can provide.”
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