Kathy Webb, Sequoyah County Election Board secretary, said over 830 in-house absentee voters cast their ballots Friday, Saturday, and Monday. She said they have seen an increase from every election they've ever had, according to other election board employees.
"The phones have been very busy," Webb said Tuesday afternoon.
The Roland Nutrition Center precinct had seen almost 600 voters as of 3:15 p.m., Charlie Day, precinct inspector, said.
Day said normally during elections they only have about a 20 percent turnout, but so far they have had about a 50 percent voter turnout with over three hours left to go.
He said they voters experienced long lines until 12:30 p.m. when the crowd started thinning out. He expected it to pick back up again in the evening.
Day said he was guessing they will have over a 60 percent turnout.
On the other end of the county in Gore, over 300 voters had cast their ballots as of 3:30 p.m. at the Gore Senior Citizens building, Wanda Wilson, precinct judge, reported.
"We've been really busy," Wilson said.
Wilson said at no point in the day had there not been a person voting.
"We're having a real good turnout," Wilson said.
She said there are probably about 700 registered voters in that particular precinct, and they have passed the 300 mark.
Wilson said they had voters ready to cast ballots at 7 a.m., when the doors opened.
Election officials at the Tommie Spear Middle School precinct reported that they had over 100 voters by 8 a.m.
At Gans City Hall, voting precinct officials reported that 153 voters had cast their ballots at 10:15 a.m. Precinct officials said usually they only have about 50 people vote.
For a complete news story on election results and voter turnout, please see the Nov. 4 edition of Your TIMES.
