LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — With just days left before Election Day, voters across Kansas and Missouri flocked to polling sites for the final weekend of early voting.
Jackson County, Missouri, saw an especially heavy turnout, with some voters waiting in long lines for hours to cast their ballots.
“I think it was the 2016 election, but it was nothing like this. Absolutely nothing like this. It was maybe a block long," said Jayne Garland.
The long wait times were the result of a high turnout of voters with only two locations available to early vote.
“I'm already running into people that are saying they've already waited 30 minutes, they can't wait any longer. Everybody's looking at their watches. Some people were smart enough to bring chairs, but most of us are standing for that."
Many voters like Tarese Thurman had begun lining up before doors at the Rangers Recreational Center in Lee's Summit opened.
"I sat in my car about 30 minutes because my legs was like this. I was like 'Oh my god,'" said Thurman.
Others like Matthew Phillips anticipated the long lines this weekend.
“I've been reading. So I started this book probably about there when this day started. So I've read probably about a good 100, 150 pages so far," said
Over in Johnson County, election officials have also seen a high turnout for early voting. This weekend, voters continued to hit the polling sites.
"I parked, I went in, I voted," said Dana Winley.
On Saturday morning, the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center had no wait time by noon.
“This is truly the place to vote I mean it was so it was seamless," said Winley.
The last day to early vote in both Kansas and Missouri is this upcoming Monday.
KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
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