Monroe County in final stages of primary election prep, poll workers get thanks
At Election Central on Monday evening, Monroe County’s three-member election board re-convened from its recessed meeting on Thursday, to be on hand for any last-minute board decisions that might have been needed.
Election Central is housed in the old Johnson’s Hardware building at 7th and Madison streets.
Deputy county clerk Tressia Martin was fielding calls from polling locations to confirm that the polls were set up for Tuesday morning’s 6 a.m. start. While the B Square was there, no board decisions needed to be made.
As of around 6 p.m. on Monday evening, 11 of the 28 polling locations had reported in as ready to go.
Just to the north of Election Central, in the Monroe County government center at the Showers Building, a handful of poll workers were getting their final training.
The election board took the chance to walk over to thank that evening’s class of poll workers.
Monroe County clerk Nicole Browne told the class of poll workers: “We are so very grateful for you stepping up to serve tomorrow.” Browne said she knew they understood that the county was “desperate for poll workers for tomorrow.”
Browne said, “We are going to have a good election tomorrow!” She added, “We can’t do what we do without you. It’s going to be a great day!”
As county clerk, Browne is one of the three election board members. She’s a Democrat. The other two members are appointed by the respective chairs of the county party: Democrat Shruti Rana; and Republican Donovan Garletts.
Earlier in the day, at noon, in-person early voting wrapped up. In-person early voting was held this year in the election operations building (the former NAPA building) at the corner of 3rd and Walnut streets.
On Monday morning, voter activity was brisk, but did not cause a line to form outside the building, during the time The B Square was on site. At several points, all the parking spots in front of the building were taken.
Through Saturday, 3,049 people had cast a ballot at the election operations center. Monday’s half day could have added another couple hundred voters.
At last Thursday’s session of the election board, Browne reported that 39 people had voted by using the travel board, and 28 overseas residents had cast ballots. Another 1,957 had mailed in ballots, Brown reported.
That would put the early voting total at somewhere over 5,300.
WHERE? Where do you vote? Start at the secretary of state’s voter portal. On that page there’s several handy links. Among the more useful links is “Voting Location.” You’ll find it in the row of blue boxes. You’ll have to type in your name and date of birth and the county where you’re registered. Then you’ll need to type in the code that they text you—it’s a two-factor identification process.
WHAT TIME? Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Even if you think you know where to vote, try to vote early enough in the day that if you’re wrong about the place, you still have time to head to the right polling location. Election workers will help you find your correct polling place. They have to let you cast a “provisional” ballot, even if it’s at the wrong polling location. But those provisional ballots, when they’re evaluated by the election board, won’t count, if they’re in the wrong location.
