All eyes on November 3

Kara Clark Summers, Cape Girardeau's county clerk, is seeing voter passion for a presidential election unlike any she has seen during her tenure.

Summers, the county's election authority for the last 13 years, said 2008 -- which saw the election of Barack Obama, America's first Black president -- was "a very big year (in the county) with lots of absentee ballots," but this year's race, she insisted, takes the cake.

As of late Friday afternoon, 11,586 ballots have already been cast in Cape County with only 386 yet to be returned.

None of the votes received before Tuesday is being counted until the polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day, Summers said.

"With the sunny weather Friday, a lot of people took advantage of curbside voting," said Summers, who said the success of drive-by ballot dropoff this week has convinced her to set up the curbside option also on Tuesday during the same 13 hours the county's 29 polling places will be open: 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Voters who wish to vote curbside may do so Saturday, Monday and Tuesday at the county administration building at Barton Square in Jackson and at the Osage Center, 1625 North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

Due to COVID-19, Missouri lawmakers made it easier to vote absentee this year and to vote by mail.

"But I was expecting a huge turnout even before COVID hit," opined Summers.

Late ballots

"I don't know how other states handle it, but in Missouri, a ballot must be in the hands of our office by 7 p.m. Tuesday in order to be counted," said Summers, suggesting the Show Me State should not see a late ballot controversy.

Military ballots, which can be accepted as late as noon Nov. 6, are the only exception to the deadline.

Republican confidence

Matt Henson, chair of the Cape County Republican Central Committee, said the GOP is hoping for an 80%-20% split in favor of President Trump on election day.

The highest percentage any Republican presidential candidate has received in Cape County during the last quarter century was in 2016, when Donald Trump had 72.41% or 27.017 votes.

"I see unbridled enthusiasm for Trump," said Henson, who said that unlike in 2016, "we can't keep signs, buttons and other memorabilia in our campaign headquarters.

"As fast as we get them in, they go out," added Henson.

Henson said voter turnout is a wild card Tuesday and said while many Democrats are voting early, most Republicans are waiting until election day to cast their ballots.

Democratic hopes

Linda Sanders, vice chair of the Cape County Democratic Central Committee, agrees with Henson about the unpredictability of voter turnout.

"We're hoping 50% of the county's vote will go to Joe Biden," she said.

"(The Biden vote) will certainly be higher than usual," said Sanders, adding, "you'd be surprised how much Democratic support is out there."

The highest percentage any Democrat has received in recent memory in the presidential sweepstakes in Cape County is 36.05%, achieved by President Bill Clinton in 1996. Obama received the most actual Democratic presidential votes in the county during the last six election cycles, compiling 12,208 or 32.6% in 2008.

Forecast

Summers said she expects 82% to 85% of Cape County's 55,334 voters to cast ballots this cycle. The highest percentage to-date in the 21st century was 12 years ago when turnout was 73.42%.

Historical vote totals (Cape County)

2016: D. Trump (R)*, 27,017 (72.41%); H. Clinton (D), 8.492 (22.76%); others, 1,802 (4.83%).

2012: M. Romney (R), 25,370 (70.81%); B. Obama (D)*, 9.728 (27.15%); others, 731 (2.04%).

2008: J. McCain (R), 24,768 (66.14%); B. Obama (D)*, 12,208 (32.6%); others, 470 (1.25%).

2004: G.W. Bush (R)*, 23,814 (68.8%); J. Kerry (D), 10,568 (30.53%); others, 230 (< 1%).

2000: G.W. Bush (R)*, 19,828 (66.42%); A. Gore (D), 9,333 (31.26%); others, 546 (1.83%).

1996: B. Dole, 15,557 (R) (56.32%); B. Clinton (D)*, 9,957 (36.05%); R. Perot (Reform), 1,861 (6.7%); others, (< 1%).