To avoid massive lines on November 8, election officials in Jackson County are urging voters to get up to speed on what they're voting on.
"We are finding that if people are not prepared, [they] are taking anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to vote their ballot," said Jackson County Election Board Director Tammy Brown. "That's going to cause lines at the polls."
Brown can't remember a longer ballot than this election's.
"People walk in and are like, 'What is all of this stuff on the ballot?'" said Brown. "They think they're voting on candidates or the president only."
Click here to see what’s on ballots in Jackson County.
The county is also getting ready for an expected 70-80 percent turnout.
Over 240,000 ballots are getting prepared for the polls, and 150 - 200 election judges are being trained per day.
Though numbers won't be released until Nov. 4, Brown said the line for in-person absentee voting has been consistent.
- Jackson County absentee voting ends at 5 p.m. Nov. 7
- The mail-in absentee request deadline is Nov. 2
- Mail-in ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on election night
Brown suggested avoiding peak voting hours (6 a.m. – 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.) if possible, and be patient on Election Day.
"Judges are working as hard as they can, and they have a long day,” said Brown. “They're getting there at 4:40 in the morning and not leaving until after 8 p.m.”
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Brian Abel can be reached at brian.abel@kshb.com.
