Early voting for the much-anticipated 2020 presidential election has begun in all six Island towns, with voter registration up across the board and a steady stream of Vineyarders casting ballots in-person and by mail over the weekend.
Voting began Saturday and continues through Oct. 30. Town clerks have also received hefty piles of mail-in and absentee ballots, as Islanders continue to navigate a democratic process altered by the pandemic.
So far, town clerks have said the mail-in ballot procedure, new this year, has gone smoothly — although a few suggested dropping off mail-in ballots at town halls to avoid the postal service.
On Saturday in Edgartown a line of about 30 voters were camped outside the town hall door around 1:45 p.m., waiting eagerly for the two o’clock chimes from the Old Whaling Church to ring in an election season three and a half years in the making. Early voting on Saturday lasted from 2 to 4 p.m., and in total saw 105 Edgartown residents cast ballots, town clerk Karen Medeiros said.
“It went really well,” she said. “We were busy.”
Another 64 voters cast ballots on Sunday, Ms. Medeiros said.
As of Monday, voter registration in Edgartown had eclipsed 4,000, with 4,042 registered. The number is up by about 100 from the 3,925 voters registered for the September primary and by about 400 from the 3,636 voters registered for the town’s 2016 presidential election.
The last day to register to vote in time for the Nov. 3 election is Saturday, Oct. 24.
Edgartown has already received approximately 300 mail-in ballots, Ms. Medeiros estimated, more than the number of absentee ballots from years past.
Patrice Brewer, a longtime Edgartown voter, arrived at the town hall at around noon on Monday to drop off her mail-in ballot in the box outside the front door. Although Ms. Brewer said she votes in every election, she decided to request a mail-in ballot this year for the first time.
“It’s because of Covid,” she said.
Asked why she decided to drop if off in person rather than mail, Ms. Brewer said it was simpler.
“It’s easier, and that way I know it’s here,” she said.
J. Hilary Conklin, the Tisbury town clerk, said 100 voters cast early ballots between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday, and another 52 cast ballots on Sunday. The town now has 3,661 registered voters, up by about 60 from the state primary election.
Like Edgartown, Tisbury saw a line of eager voters at the Emergency Services Facility on Saturday.
“Everyone was excited,” Ms. Conklin said. “It’s like the first day of the fair.”
Ms. Conklin said the town has also sent out 1,450 mail-in ballots, 30 of which have been returned. The state sends out the ballots alphabetically by town, putting Tisbury near the bottom, Ms. Conklin explained.
She suggested that residents hand submit their mail-in ballots at the town hall.
“I’m encouraging people to bring them into our office and hand it to us through the service window,” Ms. Conklin said. “It’s more direct.”
Up-Island town clerks also reported a busy weekend at the polls on Saturday and Sunday. In West Tisbury, town clerk Tara Whiting-Wells said 76 voters cast ballots on Saturday and another 53 on Sunday. Voter registration is up by about 40 from the state primary and 50 from the 2016 presidential election.
West Tisbury has also sent out 1,083 mail-in ballots, Ms. Whiting-Wells said.
“It’s an interesting volume,” Ms. Whiting-Wells said. “So far, that’s been great.”
In Chilmark, town clerk Jennifer Christy said 40 early voters cast ballots over the weekend, and that the town had sent out 461 mail-in ballots. She said 175 have been received so far. Voter registration in Chilmark is now at 1,049, up by about 100 from last year.
Oak Bluffs town clerk Colleen Morris could not be immediately reached for comment Monday.
In Edgartown, Ms. Brewer said that she appreciated the opportunity to vote early and by mail, and thanked the town clerks for making the process clear, especially considering the pandemic.
“I think the whole Island did a good job making voting accessible during a difficult time,” she said.
Early voting ends Oct. 30. For those submitting mail-in ballots, the ballot must be postmarked by Nov. 3, the official election day.
Hours and locations for early voting by town are posted on the Gazette website.
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