The Watertown Town Clerk’s office has seen brisk business this week, mostly from people coming to vote early in the State Election.
As of 9:45 a.m. Friday, 646 people had filled out their ballots at Town Hall, said Town Clerk John Flynn. He estimates there could be 2,000 votes by the end of the early voting on Friday, Nov. 2, 2018. Quite a few, but not compared to the last early voting period.
“We had 6,449 total early votes in 2016,” Flynn said. “You really can’t compare it to 2016. That was a presidential year — 2018 is a U.S. Senatorial and Gubernatorial year.”
Flynn has also received 571 absentee ballots and 4o from people in the military or living abroad.
Unlike absentee ballots, anyone can cast a vote early, for any reason, Flynn said. People can come down to the Town Clerk’s Office on the bottom floor of Town Hall. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
If you can’t make it during weekday work hours, the Town Clerk’s office will be open Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., as well as being open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30.
The ballots filled out early will be divided up by precinct and delivered by Watertown Police officers to polling places on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, Flynn said. There, poll workers will open them, check off the voters on the voter roll, and run through the voting machine.
For more information go to the Election & Voter Information page on the Watertown Town Clerk’s Office, or the Secretary of State’s webpage.