With the first week of early voting is under our belts counties in our areas saw a record-breaking voter turnout. Early voting through the first six days topped a combined 80,000 in Benton and Washington counties.
According to officials, Benton County residents cast 47,488 early votes, and Washington County saw 34,304 early votes. Compared to the first week of early voting in 2016 where Benton and Washington County saw far less early voter turnout.
Washington County Election Commissioner Jennifer Price says over 140 thousand voters are registered in Washington county.
“We are definitely are looking to have a 65-70 percent voter turnout and we’re definitely well over halfway there,” Price said.
Benton County had a one-day high of 9,519 early votes on Tuesday. The county had three consecutive days with more than 9,000 early votes each. In Washington County, about 12,394 absentee ballots were mailed. Benton county 15,754 ballots were Sent out.
Channing Barker the communications director explains how they’ve had to hire hundreds of new poll workers because of the pandemic and everyone shows up with positive attitudes ready to get to work.
“Not just the people you usually see as poll workers. I know there’s a lot of stigma that poll workers are usually in their 70s or 80s but we have 20-year-olds working the polls as well. People really feel called to show up in whatever form that looks like this year,” Barker said.
The Total for all Sebastian County Early Voting is 19,397 or 26.6% turnout so far.
The final day to request an absentee ballot be mailed is Tuesday.