Early voting in full swing

Voters are turning out in full force across Southern Illinois.

Williamson County has seen strong numbers in both early voting and voting through the mail.

According to Williamson County Clerk Amanda Barnes, 409 early votes have been cast in the Williamson County Administration Building, while 543 residents have submitted a request for a mail ballot.

However, because some of those who have requested a ballot through the mail have not returned the proper paperwork, Barnes' office has only issued 435 ballots, with 33 completed ballots coming in through the mail.

Early voting in Williamson County will run until Nov. 7, Barnes said, but the "grace period" registration and voting will happen through Election Day. "Grace period" allows residents to register and vote on the same day that they come into Barnes' office.

The effort to cover the voting process is also going strong in Saline County.

In the basement of the Saline County Courthouse, Saline County Clerk/Recorder and Election Authority Kim Buchanan leads a team of deputy clerks in the early voting process.

"We try to work as quick as we can, with other duties that we have to do, and get those ballots sent out," Buchanan said.

So far, at least 200 ballot applications have been mailed to people overseas, and others who have asked for an early ballot. Thirty ballots have also been mailed to military personnel. As of yesterday, 90 ballots have either been returned to the office by mail, or in person.

Early voting will continue up to Election Day with special circumstances for groups like nursing home residents in the county.

Those who reside in a nursing home and are unable to make it to a polling location on Election Day will be able to vote if they have requested a ballot, thanks to election judges who will bring voting materials to the facility in which they reside one week before the election.

Buchanan stated that residents can now come to the county courthouse until the day before the election, Nov. 8, to register and vote.