The line began to form as early as 7:15 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15 as voters waited for one-stop to get underway at the Clay County Board of Elections office in Hayesville. After the doors opened at 8 a.m., lines remained steady for the next five days with the busiest peak on Friday.
As anticipated, one-stop in-person numbers are high with about 27 percent of the county’s 9,102 registered voters already casting a ballot through mail-in or in-person voting.
Some folks said they had waited nearly an hour to vote, but Elections Board Director Rebecca Hall said with the exception of the first two days, it has typically been a 3o to 45 minute wait.
“Things have gone really smoothly so far,” Hall said. “Clay County voters are the best. They have been patient and understanding and have appreciated our efforts to keep them safe during this time.”
As of Wednesday morning, 2,011 Clay County voters had casts ballots in one-stop. Another 1,003 mail-in ballots have been requested with 540 of those received and accepted by the board.
Statewide voter turnout reflects the same pace. Tuesday’s numbers show 660,390 ballots cast by mail and 1,494,960 ballots cast at one-stop, according to the state Board of Elections.
Hall offers voters this important reminder: “Please turn off your cell phones while voting and it is illegal to take a picture of your ballot.”
Early voting at the Elections Board office in town continues through Saturday, Oct. 31. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Saturday hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for the final day, Oct. 31 when hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.