Absentees indicate voting interest up for midterm

With Election Day right around the corner, the Covington County Circuit Clerk’s office is hard at work receiving absentee ballots, already surpassing the last primary election’s absentee ballot collection number by 215.

The clerk’s office had received 415 absentee ballots as of Friday and they were still collecting by 3 p.m.

“We usually see that if we have a lot of absentee ballots for an election, the turnout will be good,” Carol Moore, from the circuit clerk office, said. “We definitely want there to be a good turnout.”

Yesterday the clerk’s office had already received 35 absentee ballots by 3 p.m.

“We are definitely working hard,” Moore said. “Technically yesterday [Thursday] was the last day (to apply for an absentee ballot), but this is an emergency day and we have gotten several.”

The number of absentee ballots cast in the last runoff in July was 312.

Probate Judge Stacy Brooks said that the number of absentee ballots surprises her because there is no local election on Tuesday’s ballot.

“I am surprised by the amount that we have collected so far,” Probate Judge Stacy Brooks said. “Usually when there is not a local election, people aren’t looking to vote, but I am hoping to see that a lot of people come out to the polls.”

The election includes many state races, including governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and auditor.

Locally, Sen. Jimmy Holley, Rep. Mike Jones, Probate Judge Stacy Brooks, Circuit Clerk Amy Jones, GOP sheriff nominee Blake Turman, Coroner Norman Hobson, Coviongton County School Board members John “Sonny” Thomasson and Jimmy Rodgers have no Democratic opposition.

For a sample ballot, See Page 6A of today’s print edition, or follow this link.

Election day is Tues., Nov. 6.