How to save time at the polls on Election Day

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) – Early voting is coming to an end in Jackson County and the Board of Elections is preparing for Election Day. With so many people voting early, the Jackson County Board of Elections expects wait times to be much shorter next week.

“Voting is always worth it. This is our privilege. In fact, I think it’s our duty to vote,” said voter Sue Day.

The Jackson County Board of Elections says it has seen at least 100 voters every hour over the past week as they prepare for Election Day. Voters standing in line say they waited at least two hours.

“I always said it’s worth it, no matter how long the line is. If you don’t vote, you don’t have a say, and then you can’t sit back and complain,” Day said.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ELECTION GUIDE: What Missouri and Kansas voters need to know before heading to the polls

The council says the reason for the long wait last week was because voters showed up unprepared. They say some voters needed to update their names and addresses on the spot, which took extra time.

The Jackson County Board of Elections says it sees at least 100 voters every hour... — The Jackson County Board of Elections says it saw at least 100 voters every hour last week.(KSTV)

They also say voters were not informed about the information on their ballots and are viewing it for the first time in the voting booth.

“Some voters come in and say, ‘I thought it was just the president, so when they see the ballot they’re like, oh, oh.’ But if they are ready, they can come and go without any problems,” Brown said.

With more than 104 buildings, 125 polling places and 1,250 judges in training in the county, the Board of Elections says it is very prepared for Election Day and voters need to do their part.

“Even during COVID in 2020, we didn’t have lines like this and we didn’t have another satellite, we only had one, so the number of voters who turned out was just astounding,” Brown said.

Brown said that’s thanks in large part to candidates on both sides of the aisle pushing voters to vote early.

“We have a lot of people making friends in line, and families have turned it into a bit of an outing,” Brown said.

CONNECTED: Kansas election officials are urging remaining mail-in voters to avoid going to the post office and leave their ballots in a drop box

The Jackson County Board of Elections advises making sure your information is up to date and viewing a sample ballot in advance to save you time at the polls on November 5th.

KCTV5 offers a complete election guide with details on how to double check your polling place and view a sample ballot. Here.