MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Where did all these people come from? I mean they’ve just been going vote crazy. Just a waitin’ and a standin’ in line - and a votin’. More than 300,000 of them in Shelby County. That is one heap of peeps.
Ok, let’s get serious. By the end of early voting on Thursday, more than 50% of registered voters in Shelby County will have voted. And elections officials are getting ready for 200,000 more.
“We’ve got capacity on Election Day to handle 200,000 voters, and we do not think we will get anything near that,” said Shelby County Election Administrator Linda Phillips. “But that’s ok,” she said. “You never lose over planning an election.”
About 30,000 absentee ballots were sent out. That’s also a record. The Tennessee Secretary of State sent two more absentee ballot scanners and Phillips now is confident results will be known several hours after the last vote.
“The extra scanners really help a lot,” she said, “... so I think we’re good.”
Last minute absentee voters should now either FedEx or UPS their ballots to the Election Commission, or take them to the post office in Bartlett. Phillips knows a lot of you aren’t thrilled about having to get to Bartlett to drop off your absentee ballots.
“Well, first off,” she said, “... I didn’t get to pick the location. The Postal Service selected the Post Office in each county where the mail is received. The Bartlett Post Office is the post office that services the Elections Operation Center.”
The Bartlett Post Office will hand stamp absentee ballots up until 3:00 p.m. on Election Day, and then take them to be counted.
