Brisk pace marks start of early voting
Early voting got off to a surprisingly brisk start this week as over 250 people cast early ballots Wednesday and Thursday.
“This is a pretty good start for a primary,” said Election Administrator Donna Yates. “Typically, primaries don’t generate a real big turnout.”
However, the fact the primaries are being held with a county referendum may help bump up the numbers of people going to the polls. The referendum is asking county voters (those who do not live within McMinnville city limits) if they want to increase the local option sales tax from 2.0 to 2.75 percent. The city of McMinnville passed a similar measure through referendum last year. City voters are not allowed to vote in the current county referendum.
Given the early turnout, Yates believes the continued early voting, which continues through Feb. 5, will only improve as voters determine who they will vote for in the presidential primary.
“I think some people may be waiting, on the Democratic side, to see how primaries turn out in other states,” Yates said. “They may want to see who the frontrunner is or see if anyone else drops out. Voters likely don’t want to vote early for a candidate only to find out he has dropped out.”
Yates confirmed the majority of primary voters are casting ballots in the Democratic Primary. However, aside from contested races for Republican delegates, there are no contested Republican offices in the primary. Some voters, Yates noted, have elected not to vote in the primaries at all, and instead just voted in the referendum.
Early voting is being held in the rear of the county administrative offices on Locust Street from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturdays. Those who do not vote early will have one last chance Feb. 10 when polls open across the county.