Traffic flow was steady throughout Golden Triangle voter precincts this morning, and area circuit clerk”s offices expected it to remain so throughout the day.
“You”ve got a lot of interest in this election,” said Lowndes County Circuit Clerk Haley Salazar, citing a hotly contested 1st District Congressional race and a new judge”s seat in Circuit Court District 16.
Salazar”s office has received 1,253 absentee ballots, which is about average, she said. The county has 40,111 active voters.
More than a dozen voters were in the National Guard Armory on Fabritek Drive in East Columbus at 8 this morning, casting or preparing to cast their ballots.
“It”s been very steady today, a little bit better than normal,” said Diane Tate, a poll worker at the armory.
Robert Cattledge was waiting for his cousin to cast her ballot at the armory before heading to Sale to cast his.
“I”ve gotta try to keep the Democrats in,” Cattledge said. “If we get the Republicans in, we”ll catch it.”
District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith also was at the Armory this morning, checking on voter precincts in his districts.
“This is a real good sign here,” he said of the steady traffic. “I”m just hoping the rain holds out.” Smith also planned to check voter precincts at Coleman, Crawford and Plum Grove.
“I think (voting) is something we need to do,” said Donald Barksdale, after he cast his vote this morning. “That”s the opportunity we have to get the people in place that we need to. It”s our right but it”s also our duty.”
With the political environment increasingly hostile this election season, Willie Williams said, if it were times past barns would be burned and people would be shot at “to take away the human right to vote.”
“I hope there”s a greater voter turnout” because of the negative campaign messages,” Williams said. He also noted the stimulus package often attacked by Republicans has “created jobs and keep factories open.”
In West Point, voter traffic also was steady.
“The traffic flow”s been good,” said Glenda Nadeau, District 3 election commissioner.
West Point logged 595 absentee ballots and has 13,084 active voters.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
