Early voting for the June 9 primary started Monday, but it looks a bit different.
Gilmer County Chief Registrar Tammy Watkins is asking people to practice patience.
“It’s rocking and rolling,” she said. “We are doing pretty well with it.
On Monday, 99 people cast ballots in person at the registrar’s office in the courthouse.
Yellow tape marks spots where people can wait six feet apart as they move towards the entrance. Voters are asked to come up the farthest steps to allow people to enter and leave without grouping up.
Outside a volunteer sanitizes IDs and only 10 people are allowed inside the voting area, including poll workers. Machines are being cleaned after each voter.
All of the additions slow the process.
“Be patient with us, we are following all the guidelines, so it just takes time,” Watkins said. “It has definitely been a challenge this year.”
Most people are being kind and understanding, she said.
One thing which will throw sand in the gears is if someone who requested a mail ballot shows up to vote without bringing the mail ballot. To allow the person to vote, workers must cancel the mail ballot.
If the voter does not bring the mail ballot, poll workers must follow a process which requires an affidavit and adds time to the process.
Watkins said it is not mandatory, but requests people who have mail-in ballots, and have decided to vote in person, bring the ballots with them to vote.
Eight people are working on early voting and four more working on mail-in ballots at the registrar’s office.
As of Monday, her office had mailed 5,677 ballots to voters. A total of 1,738 had been returned by voters.
“We stay caught up daily,” Watkins said. “It was terrible at first. Mondays are horrible mail days.”
The deadline for mail-in ballots is approaching.
“If you are going to do it, I would recommend you have your request to us no later than June 1,” Watkins said.