“Jackson County voters have turned out early and we love it when they do that. We encourage that every election,” said Jackson County Clerk, Chris Walker.
Jackson County’s registered voter turnout stands at 49.5%. According Walker, that’s nearly 162,000 people who have turned their ballot in. In 2016, only 60% voted.
“People think that if they don’t complete the entire ballot, their ballot will be invalidated and that’s absolutely not true. You can vote as little or as much as you want on that ballot,” Walker said.
Election officials say if you have not yet mailed in your ballot, the only way to guarantee your vote at this point in time is to go to an official ballot drop site, and turn your ballot in.
“USPS says they’re making every effort to make sure those ballots get to us, so if you’re a voter who decides just to mail it today – that’s up to you,” said Walker.
There are certified drop boxes at most libraries across the region.
Despite an early voter turnout, Walker says any information about election results will not be shared until 8 p.m. election night.
“That is by law, so even though we are putting ballots through our tally equipment, those are protected within that system,” Walker said.
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