Cole, Boone counties see high turnout as early voting surges before Election Day

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

With early voting underway in Cole County, thousands of Mid-Missourians have already cast their votes a week before the election day. 

Absentee voting began on Monday in Cole County and according to the county clerk's office, roughly 5,800 people have already have already cast an early ballot in person, according to the clerk's office. Around 900 have been from mail-in ballots have been cast.

“We have a neighbor that doesn’t get around well and we brought her along with us,” Ray Hentges told ABC 17 after voting on Tuesday. "I think it’s a good idea because you never know the weather on election day, which maybe you can't get out. We like to have our vote count.” 

The number of early voters is on track to surpass the previous two presidential elections. In 2020 Cole County had 10,054 absentee votes which was a significant increase from the 3,926 absentee votes during the 2016 election. However, a spokesman for the county clerk’s office noted that, unlike this year's election, no-excuse absentee voting was not an option in the previous two presidential elections. 

The clerk's office told ABC 17 News in an email that it expects to have an overall voter turnout of 75% after Election Day.

Boone County has been seeing a similar surge. The Boone County Clerk's Office wrote on its social media on Tuesday that it has had 13,500 in-person ballots cast, averaging around 1,500 people voting each day. Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon previously stated she expected a 70% turnout.

About 13,500 voters have cast an in person absentee ballot so far. The average has been 1,500 voters a day coming through with a 35 minute visit.

— Boone County Clerk (@voteboonemo) October 29, 2024

Over 50 million Americans have already cast their ballots for the November Ballot with heavy voter turnout expected on Election Day, the Associated Press reports. Cole County already had to replace one of its voting machines after it reached its maximum vote total. 

According to a spokesman for the Cole County Clerk’s Office, each voting machine is issued a hard cap of 5,000 votes. During election worker training on Monday, one of the machines reached that total and was placed in a secure lock box before being replaced with a new machine. The spokesman added that the machine is working correctly and the change did not cause any issues for the county. 

“In Missouri, I'm 100% confident,” Hentges said. “I think we do a good job here.  I can't say that for all 50 [states].” 

A growing number of Americans do not trust the process, after Donald Trump did not concede after his 2020 defeat in the presidential election, alleging widespread fraud that kept him from winning. However, Missouri officials remain confident that the state's elections are fair and secure. The confidence has rubbed off on some of the voters. 

People who choose to vote need to bring a valid photo ID. Acceptable forms include:

• Missouri driver's license
• Missouri nondriver license
• Passport
• Military ID

In Cole County, no-excuse absentee voting takes place at the county clerk’s office at 311 East High Street in Jefferson City in Room 201.

In Boone County, no-excuse absentee voting takes place every day – except on Sundays – between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. through Nov. 4 at the Boone County Government Center.

The Boone County Clerk’s website says additional locations throughout the county will occur on the following days:

• Oct. 28-31, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Memorial Union, Second Floor (University of Missouri campus)
• Nov. 1, 10 a.m.-1p.m.: Memorial Union, Second Floor (University of Missouri campus)
• Nov. 2, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Southern Boone Middle School Cafeteria in Ashland and Impact Support Services in Centralia (formerly the East Annex Building on Switzler