Voters Flood To The Polls

Early voting for the 2020 Election has been busy across the state and in Jeff Davis County an unprecedented number of early voters have lined up to vote, some having to wait over an hour to cast a ballot.
“It’s been crazy,” Election Supervisor Christy Riner said Tuesday afternoon. “We had 177 to vote yesterday (Monday) and right now the total is up to 315.”
That was at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The line of voters stretched the length of the courthouse hallway and at times out onto the sidewalk outside the building.
“I expected it to be busy,” Riner said. “I expected the voting to be pretty good but I thought maybe some people would be waiting on the debates to decide who they would vote for. I’ve never seen it like this, even on the Obama election, which was the busiest we’ve had, but even then the line never reached outside.”
Cautions about the coronavirus pandemic have exacerbated the voting wait as, because of social distancing requirements, poll workers can allow only two voters in the small voting room at a time.
Riner said the voters lined up in the hallways are not social distancing and probably half have not worn masks despite the crowded atmosphere, a dangerous situation in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Early voting continues Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 30. On one Saturday the early voting at the courthouse will be open — Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.