Record early voting in Tazewell County as election nears
In the weekend leading up to Election Day, the Tazewell County Clerk's Office saw a
big turnout for early voting on Sunday. The office called early participation for this
election cycle "unprecedented."
Lines stretched down the stairs and into the building's first-floor hallway but still
moved fairly quickly.
Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman said this year, 17,000 people have voted early, in
person. This quadruples the previous record in the 2016 elections of about 4,700.
13,500 vote-by-mail ballots have been mailed in as of Sunday evening. The last day to
postmark a mail-in ballot is on Tuesday. Official results aren't normally finalized until
two weeks after Election Day.
A majority of voters said it was their first time early voting. They cited work, school and
convenience as their reason for coming on that day instead of Tuesday.
Ackerman said efforts to spread awareness of early voting times were increased this
year, which in turn, contributed to the increased early turnout.
"We're seeing people come out, wanting to make sure their voice is heard and that's a
good thing," Ackerman said.
He said turnout on Election Day will still be high but believes it could be lower
compared to past years because of the massive early voting turnout. That early voting
trend may only increase in the future.
"We've seen growth in it throughout the years, massive uptick this year, but it's been
on a steady upward curve as more and more people have utilized it and appreciated
it," Ackerman said.