Lee voters can pop in to ‘pop-up’ voting precincts to avoid Election Day rush

LEESBURG — Voting in presidential elections is big in Lee County, so in this COVID-19 pandemic year elections officials are making casting a ballot even easier with special polling days and locations.

In 2016, more than 75% of the county’s voters turned out to make their voices heard in the presidential election and other state and federal contests.

“Four years ago, we had 80 percent (turnout), so I’m not expecting anything less from that,” Lee County Voting Supervisor Veronica Johnson said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was even more than that. People are very engaged in this presidential election, so I’m expecting a really big turnout.”

This year, Johnson’s office will hold traditional early voting at the 100 Starksville North elections office, but will add an extra Saturday and additional voting hours at two locations outside the city of Leesburg.

Early in-person absentee voting will take place at the office Oct. 12-30 from 8:15 a.m.-5 p.m. and from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.

“This year, because there will be such a high turnout, we are doing some pop-up voting locations,” Johnson said.

On Saturday, Oct. 17, the precinct at the Redbone Fire Station, 1826 Graves Road, will be open from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

“That’s one of the largest precincts we have, and also it’s a heavily populated part of the county,” Johnson said. “We chose that Saturday to open a second location, and we are hoping it is heavily utilized.”

The other pop-up precinct will offer evening hours. The precinct at the Oakland Library, 445 Oakland Parkway, will be open Oct. 19-Oct. 22. Hours are 3:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. each day.

“We’re hoping people going home from work can swing by,” Johnson said. “We’re trying to add additional hours, locations and opportunities for people to vote easily.”

As an added bonus, the extra hours and locations could make it easier for the people who hold to the tradition of casting ballots on Election Day by reducing the size of the crowd.

“Anything we can do to shorten lines on Election Day, we’re going to do that,” Johnson said.

Voters do not have to live in the precinct area of the pop-up voting locations to cast ballots there.

One issue voting officials are dealing with across the state is multiple requests for absentee ballots. Johnson and Dougherty County Voting Supervisor Ginger Nickerson said that is not due to voters trying to cast multiple ballots.

With numerous third-party groups mailing out applications, some who receive them forget having sent an initial application and send in another.

“That’s fine, but they don’t have to do that,” Johnson said. “One form will get you one ballot, and 100 forms will get you one ballot.”

It does mean a little extra work for elections officials, however.

Lee County voters’ requests for absentee ballots have been solid so far, and a number of voters already have turned in completed ballots, Johnson said.

Voters have until Oct. 5 to register to participate in the Nov. 3 election and make any necessary address or name changes ahead of the big day.

Georgians can check registration status, request a mail-in absentee ballot, check out sample ballots, and find their polling locations and other information at sos.ga.gov/index.php/elections. That information can be found by selecting “My voter page,” located on the left under the voter info category.

File Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]