Good numbers in early voting

PRESCOTT – With this midterm election possibly being one of the most important in the nation’s history, people are coming out on droves to vote early and make sure their votes are counted.

As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, more than 526 county residents have gone to the Nevada County Courthouse to cast their ballots. According to poll workers, a lot of voters are first timers, as young people are also letting their voices be heard. The poll workers said voting has been steady, especially at lunch and after work.

This year the county is using new machines. The poll workers said voters seem to like the new equipment because it’s simpler and easier to use. So far there have been no issues with the machines, unlike the voting machines in Texas where there have been reports of the machines allegedly switching people’s votes.

One of the things everyone seems to like about the new equipment is there are no more poll books. Voters just need to bring in a photo ID and make sure their address is the same on their ID as it is in the system. If the addresses don’t match they can still vote by using paper ballots.

Early voting ends at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5. The General Election will be held from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6. This year, the polling machines will be left at the polling locations with poll workers bringing back a USB drive, which will have all votes cast at each location. In addition, registered voters can vote anywhere in the county, not a specific location, as it’s been in the past.