A ballot drop box in Ark City at 119 S. Summit. (Photo by Brady Bauman)
There’s been a common phrase heard inside the Cowley County Clerk’s Office leading up to Election Day on Tuesday.
“By far and away.”
During another busy day of advance in-person voting late in the day Wednesday, that’s the way Cowley County Clerk Karen Madison described every comparison in regards to turnout for this presidential election compared to 2016.
And 2016 was not lacking in interest. Madison said voter turnout in the county for that election was close to 63 percent.
For this one, she’s predicting a turnout that could push 70 percent.
“I really, really think so,” Madison said.
As of Wednesday, the clerk’s office has seen more than 1,800 voters cast in-person advance ballots in Winfield and more than 500 in Ark City, where an advance in-person location was opened this week at the Water Treatment Plant for the first time for a presidential election.
And in Cowley County, paper ballots are the method of voting.
Madison said she switched to all paper ballots for this election for several reasons. She said there has been a shift in voter preference to paper ballots and they cost less for the county to administer than voting machines with their maintenance costs that run into the thousands of dollars annually.
Madison said ballots in Cowley County are printed locally by Hutto Printing, Inc., in Winfield.
“I know I’ve overprinted for elections day,” she said. “But I would rather end up with too many.”
Another reason Madison said it’s been easier for the county to switch to all paper ballots for this election is the substantially higher number of voters using mail ballots.
Madison
While Madison said those voting advance in-person this time will easily eclipse 2016’s total of roughly 2,600 people, 3,000 mail ballots have already been returned and logged by the county. Approximately 1,800 are still expected to be turned into the clerk’s office.
The deadline for ballots to be mailed back to the clerk’s office is Friday, Nov. 6, and they must be postmarked by Election Day, according to state law.
Madison said the county normally sends out anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 mail ballots in a comparable election.
“Our in-person is higher,” Madison said. “But it’s not blowing it away like our mail — it’s just blown it away.”
However, Madison said far more people have been returning those ballots to the clerk’s office in person or at one of the two ballot drop boxes in the county. One drop box is in front of the county clerk’s office in Winfield. The other is located at 119 S. Summit in front of the county attorney’s office.
“Oh definitely, yeah, right now we’re picking out more in the drop boxes than we are getting delivered from the mail,” she said.
Madison said those who choose to mail back their ballots to the clerk’s office should do so no later than Monday to be sure their ballot arrives at the office before next Friday.
Madison said this election has also seen a large uptick in ballots requested and sent to military voters and those overseas. Typically, the county mails out roughly 20 ballots to those in the military and overseas for a presidential election.
This election has tallied 40-50 ballots requested in Cowley County by military and overseas voters.
“It’s been amazing,” Madison said about turnout.
Madison also noted historically inactive registered voters are participating this time.
“It’s super exciting,” she said, while also praising her staff. “They’ve busted it.”
Advance in-person voting will continue at the clerk’s office the rest of the week, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 til noon and Monday from 7:30 a.m. til noon.
Advance in-person voting in Ark City, at 400 W. Madison, will continue through Friday from 7:30 a.m. til 5 p.m.
Polls open on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. til 7 p.m.
More on voting and elections in Cowley County can be found here.
