MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Election Day is exactly one week from Tuesday and officials said they are ready for whatever next week may bring.
With the big day being seven days away, there are many deadlines people across the Mid-South should be aware up, as the election season is winding down. Early voting ends in a couple of days,
and Tuesday is the final day to request an absentee ballot, time is of the essence to make sure your ballot arrives on time.
“If you’ve waited until today, you’ll probably have to send it back to us via FedEx or UPS or DHL,” Linda Phillips, the Shelby County Election Commission Administrator, said Tuesday.
Phillips said she anticipates 30,000 requests by the end of the day. However, she does have a warning for those voting through the absentee option.
“The biggest mistake people make is not signing their affidavit envelope,” Phillips said. “They have to sign that yellow envelope and that yellow envelope is personalized for the voter.”
Once early voting ends Thursday, it will be full steam ahead for the 1,700 poll workers preparing for Election Day starting with getting electronic poll books in order.
“Our officers will be picking up on Sunday, setting up their sites on Monday, so we’ll be ready to go on Tuesday,” Phillips said.
With this election happening in the midst of a pandemic, one of the biggest priorities is safety.
Polling sites will adhere to same COVID-19 restrictions as August.
” I think voters can feel safe about coming to the polls whether they come out early in the next few days or whether they come next Tuesday,” Phillips said.
One other thing to note, if you need to change your address, it is much easier to do during early voting. If you want until Election Day you have to go to the polling site for your new address to cast your ballot.
