MONROE - Slightly more Monroe residents cast their vote early this fall versus the 2008 presidential election.
The City of Monroe Clerk's office issued 1,050 absentee ballots for this Tuesday's election. In 2008, the office issued 1,001 absentee ballots.
"So we're a little over 2008," said City Clerk Carol Stamm. The deadline to vote early was 5 p.m. Friday. Lines formed several times Friday afternoon in City Hall in the final hours before the deadline, she said.
How many absentee ballots the clerk's office issues roughly equals the number returned. In 2008, Stamm said 992 ballots of the 1,001 issued were returned.
Absentee voting, commonly referred to as "early voting," causes the city clerk's office more work, Stamm said.
To handle the influx of absentee ballots, she hired a poll worker full-time for the past two weeks, at a cost of about $800 in wages. She and her deputy clerk have also been putting in extra time.
As Stamm was getting ready to leave her office Friday afternoon, she said she was planning to come back Saturday morning to do more election-related work.
Handling absentee ballots also causes extra work on Election Day, she added. Poll workers have to manually open each absentee ballot envelope and process it through the electronic equipment.
For those voting on Election Day who want to avoid delays, she recommends coming during the afternoon lull - usually between 1 and 3 p.m.
Anyone who isn't yet registered at their current address must bring proof of residency in order to vote on Election Day. No photo ID is necessary.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The City of Monroe Clerk's office issued 1,050 absentee ballots for this Tuesday's election. In 2008, the office issued 1,001 absentee ballots.
"So we're a little over 2008," said City Clerk Carol Stamm. The deadline to vote early was 5 p.m. Friday. Lines formed several times Friday afternoon in City Hall in the final hours before the deadline, she said.
How many absentee ballots the clerk's office issues roughly equals the number returned. In 2008, Stamm said 992 ballots of the 1,001 issued were returned.
Absentee voting, commonly referred to as "early voting," causes the city clerk's office more work, Stamm said.
To handle the influx of absentee ballots, she hired a poll worker full-time for the past two weeks, at a cost of about $800 in wages. She and her deputy clerk have also been putting in extra time.
As Stamm was getting ready to leave her office Friday afternoon, she said she was planning to come back Saturday morning to do more election-related work.
Handling absentee ballots also causes extra work on Election Day, she added. Poll workers have to manually open each absentee ballot envelope and process it through the electronic equipment.
For those voting on Election Day who want to avoid delays, she recommends coming during the afternoon lull - usually between 1 and 3 p.m.
Anyone who isn't yet registered at their current address must bring proof of residency in order to vote on Election Day. No photo ID is necessary.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.