Early voting for the Nov. 5 general election wraps up Friday, with county elections officials expecting one of the busiest early voting days ever.
More than 162,000 votes had been cast between the start of early voting Oct. 21 and Thursday. That’s already more early votes cast than all but one election since early voting was adopted in 1988.
“Historically, the last day of early voting has been the busiest, with the after-work hours bringing the longest lines,” County Elections Administrator Lisa Wise said. “Most of our locations will encounter long wait times.
See Also: Election 2024: Everything you need to know for Nov. 5 general election in El Paso
Thirty-three early voting sites will be open Friday, with varying hours. Nine of the polling sites will be open until 9 p.m.: Arlington Park Shelter, Bassett Place, El Paso County Eastside Annex, El Paso County Northwest Annex, Fabens Community Center, Marty Robbins Recreation Center, Officer David Ortiz Recreation Center and Oz Glaze Senior Center.
Wise said voters can take several steps to speed up the voting process.
Review a sample ballot ahead of time so you are familiar with what you’re voting on. Create a personalized sample ballot on the county elections website, print it out, mark your choices and take it to the polls to help you fill out your ballot more quickly. Find and take advantage of less-busy sites. Wait times can be found at epcountyvotes.com.If you have a disability that makes it difficult to enter a polling site without assistance or risk of injury, take advantage of curbside voting. Park in the spot designated for curbside voting, and call or text for assistance at the number on the sign.If you have mobility challenges, you can get priority to avoid waiting in line for a long time. Notify an election worker if you’d like priority.Don’t wear clothing with political slogans or candidate names. This includes hats. If you have that kind of clothing within 100 feet of a polling place, you’ll be asked to remove it.
Voters will have one more opportunity to cast ballots on Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
If you vote Tuesday, you can go to any of the 116 Election Day vote centers, which will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Read More: What’s on my ballot? El Paso races in 2024 elections explained
The 2020 election, conducted at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, drew the most early votes ever in El Paso, more than 222,000. But that year featured 18 days of early voting instead of the usual 12, and also had record high mail-in voting as senior citizens avoided in-person voting.
The last pre-pandemic presidential election, in 2016, drew a then-record 151,000 early voters. The 2024 early voting period already has seen more ballots cast, with one day of early voting remaining.
The last day of early voting in 2020 drew 16,661 in-person early voters, similar to the 16,926 on the last day in 2024. The busiest day ever in El Paso early voting came on the first day in 2020, when 19,607 people cast ballots.
The post Large crowds expected for El Paso’s last day of early voting Friday appeared first on El Paso Matters.
Read: Read More