Early voting began last Thursday and already about 680 have taken advantage both in Galesburg and Knox County as a whole.
Galesburg Election Commission Executive Director Lisa Watson says in Galesburg there also been about 125 vote-by-mail applications that have come in as well 75 online voter registration applications.
County Clerk Scott Erickson and Watson both have told WGIL that early voting typically starts heavy and then enters a lull before picking up near Election Day.
“There is a push,” Watson says. “Voters want to get out and cast their ballot and then it will quiet down. But especially before the last three weeks before the election, early voter turnout is pretty high.”
Watson says that early voting tends to increase the longer it’s been place. It certainly did in Galesburg from the 2008 to 2012 elections.
2012 had 3,620 voting early, 297 more than 2008 even though Galesburg voter turnout decreased.
Election Day registration will be available at City Hall or the Clerk’s office in the Knox County Courthouse, as it was for the March primaries.
City Hall will have five registration officials as opposed to the two they had in March.
Watson says after long lines and delayed results in March the Galesburg Election Commission will have Galesburg Board of Elections member pre-screening the line.
During the primaries some individuals were in line to register when they really just needed to know their polling place.
