Many have already cast ballots through absentee voting

SIKESTON — The Nov. 6 election is just over a week away, but many area residents have already cast ballots through absentee voting.

Oct. 31 was the deadline for mailed absentee ballots to arrive and be processed in county clerks’ offices. Voters have until 5 p.m. the day before the election, which is Nov. 5, to vote by absentee ballot in the county clerk’s office.

As of Tuesday morning, Scott County has had 507 absentee requests, and of that, 423 have either voted in the office or returned their ballot by mail, according to county clerk Rita Milam.

“That is double of what we voted in 2014 and triple in 2016,” Milam said.

In New Madrid County, so far, 160 absentee ballots have been requested and 113 returned, according to the office of New County Clerk Clement Cravens, which is about normal.

Of the 129 ballots requested in Mississippi County, the county clerk’s office had received 69 of them as of Monday, according to Mississippi County Clerk Emily Pullen. She said that figure was about average or even a bit below the average number of absentee ballots cast for November elections.

County clerk offices will be open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday for registered voters who want to cast an absentee ballot prior to Tuesday’s election.

“I encourage people to call our office if they have moved or changed their name since they last voted,” Milam said. “Please everyone come out and vote on Nov. 6.”