Historic turnout, few problems reported in Southeast Missouri counties

Highly motivated voters are turning out in the anticipated droves to polls in several Southeast Missouri counties.

"It's no secret. We knew and the voters knew it was going to be busy," said Sherri Lomedico, voter registration clerk in the Cape Girardeau County clerk's office. After Monday's intense absentee vote turnout, the clerk's office seemed almost quiet, with the exception of clerk's deputies answering questions phoned in by voters or precinct workers.

Kathy Thomas, a working mother of four and in-home day care operator, left her charges with two of her employees, both relatives, to go to the American Legion Hall in Jackson and cast a ballot.

"It's a historic moment, one that I thought I would never see," she said.

Nathan Brown, a commercial insurance agent for W.E. Walker-Lakenan, anticipated a long line, but was pleased to get in and get out. Arizbeth Hahn, 9 months pregnant with her second child, arrived at the American Legion Hall but learned she was at the wrong polling place. She laughed when an election worker asked if the baby would be born any minute. She wanted to vote before her doctor's appointment where she would learn if her labor would be induced today. After being directed to the proper polling place close to her Mulberry Acres home, she said, she wanted to make sure to vote before seeing her doctor.

"Last time, I missed the election. I was working third shift as a nursing assistant in Ohio," she said. "Not everybody realizes how important it is to vote."

Joey Keys, Cape Girardeau County election director, said initial long lines have abated, with adjustments made for voters at the Arena Building, which serves larger polling districts.

"We split the roster books and excess judges are helping people," he said.

Fewer people are doing last-minute campaigning outside of poling places, Keys said, though he was not sure of the reason.

"As long as they are 25 feet from the door, they should be in compliance with the law," he said. "Honestly I expected more of it."

The most common sight were volunteers wearing green shirts emblazoned with "Voting Rights Team" and a Barack Obama campaign logo. Several workers said they were acting as non-partisan volunteers, to make sure no eligible voter was turned away.

One such volunteer at Cape Girardeau City Hall, who declined to be identified, said he's helped one couple who moved to Cape Girardeau after the Oct. 8 voter registration deadline. He said a little-known process allows such voters to file a ballot, but they must go to the county clerk's office.

Scott County Clerk Rita Milam said some minor problems have been encountered, either because a voter mismarked a ballot and it could not be read, or the document was improperly inserted into the electronic ballot box. She said those ballots are invalidated and the voter is given a fresh one. Scott County's turnout is the biggest she's seen in 24 years.

Linda Schreckenberg, on temporary assistant clerk duty for Bollinger County Clerk Diane H. Holzum, said polls were also very busy in her county but did not have any specifics.

In Perry County, the biggest glitch has been voters who moved and did not update their registrations, according to Perry County Clerk Randy Taylor. Perry County voters are turning out in droves.

"We are pulling our hair out. But, we expected it to be busy," he said, calling it the "the biggest turnout in my 22 years, looking at absentees and activities today."

Voters who moved after the Oct. 8 registration deadline can still vote, but must do so at their county clerk's office. Every county reported at least one such instance, with the most, three, showing up at Cape Girardeau County before noon.

Lines, for the most part, moved swiftly with the help of extra judges. In Cape Girardeau County, where fewer than 200 judges typically work a presidential election, 225 are on duty; in Scott County, the average 84 has been boosted to 120. In Perry County, 12 extra judges raised the total to 90. Figures for Bollinger County were not available.

Clerks report that heavy absentee voting will delay results slightly. The work of counting those ballots starts on the morning of election day and is often done by noon — not the case this year, said Taylor.

"They'll be here for a little while longer," he said at 2 p.m.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

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