Early voting turnout high

Published 12:07 am Saturday, November 1, 2008

NATCHEZ — More than 3,400 of the voters in the Miss-Lou having already cast their votes for president.

In Adams County, as of the last tally — taken Thursday evening — 2,002 people have cast absentee votes for the election, Circuit Clerk Eddie Walker said.

Adams County has 21,975 voters on the voter rolls, meaning that 9 percent of those voters has cast ballots.

Email newsletter signup

“I think there is going to be a higher turnout than we usually see,” Walker said. “I have a strong suspicion that this may be our biggest election ever.”

But those numbers do not include Friday’s votes, and in-person absentee voting will not end until today.

The 2,002 vote count is right at the number of votes the election commission projected, Adams County Election Commission Chairman Larry Gardner said.

In the 2004 presidential election, approximately 1,400 absentee votes were cast in Adams County.

“We figured we would pick up another 600,” Gardner said.

The circuit clerk’s office will open at 8 a.m. for in-person voting, which will end at noon.

After that, the clerk’s office will accept mail-in ballots for all races on Monday.

Though mail-in ballots can be received Tuesday, election law dictates that non-military ballots received that day only the presidential race will be counted. Votes for senator, special elections, election commissioner or judge will not be counted.

For military ballots received Tuesday, however, all votes will be counted.

According to the Concordia Parish Registrar of Voter’s Office, as of Friday approximately 10 percent of Concordia Parish’s registered population has already cast a ballot in the presidential election.

The 1,431 ballots cast so far are a combination of the in-person early voting — also known as “no excuse” voting — that was between Oct. 21 and 28 and traditional mail-in absentee ballots.

Concordia Parish currently has 13,698 voters on the rolls.

In Louisiana, absentee ballots by mail must be received by Monday.

However, military and overseas ballots may also be received on Election Day.

Mary Hood contributed to this article.