ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Hundreds of people showed up on day one of in-person absentee voting in Missouri.
“Considering there’s all this disease going around… I had a religious objection to making people go to the poll to risk their life,” said Patricia Thomas, a voter.
Whatever your reason, the lines on day one of in-person absentee voting in Missouri were rather long.
“It's always high turnout in a presidential election so we were expecting a lot of folks to come out." said Eric Fey Democratic director of elections working at the county board of elections in St. Louis County.
This year, the qualifications for absentee voting changed slightly as we continue to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If you're out of town for election day, if you're sick or disabled or caring for someone who is sick or disabled, if you have a religious belief or practice that prevents you from going to the poling place, if you're working for the board of elections or if you're at risk for the coronavirus… that’s a new one for this year,” said Fey.
Patricia Thomas lives in University City. She says in all her years of casting her ballot – this was her first time voting absentee.
“I am a scientist, and i really think its irresponsible to expect Americans to all have to show up to vote on one day,” said Thomas.
Thomas used religious beliefs as a basis for her absentee vote.
“I think everybody, every American should have a religious objection to being made to vote and risk their life to vote," said Thomas.
Fey says in addition to in-person voting, on Tuesday nearly 100,000 ballots will be mailed to voters.
His advice is: don’t wait until the last minute.
“I wanna remind people that if they want to vote by absentee ballot or mail in ballot, get that request in now… as soon as possible and well get the ballot right out to them and don’t procrastinate, fill out the ballet get it right back to us to make sure it gets back to us on time," said Fey.
Fey says people are being required to make masks and polling places are taking the proper COVID-19 precautions.
