Early voting begins here

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A Seymour woman has long tried to be one of the earliest voters possible during each election.

It’s a tradition Julie Knott traces back to her great-grandmother, Kathleen Myron.

"We were always told she was the first woman to vote in Jackson County," Knott said Tuesday morning. That was just minutes before she cast her ballot for the Nov. 3 general election at an absentee voting site in the Jackson County Judicial Center at 109 S. Sugar St. in Brownstown.

She was third in line on the first day ballots could be cast at that site. A second absentee voting site opened for the first time at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the former Jackson Superior Court I building at 1420 Corporate Way in Seymour.

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Knott said she was unsure how true the story is of her grandmother voting first in 1920 — the year women were given the right to vote — but it’s one of reasons she always votes and early if possible. 

But there is another reason this year, Knott said.

Her husband, Michael Knott, was ill back in March, and they have been trying to social distance as much as possible because of that and COVID-19, she said.

"We try to avoid crowded places," Knott said.

William Henry Brooks of Brownstown had a different reason for casting his ballot as soon as possible.

"It’s my duty as a citizen," the Vietnam veteran said.

Brooks said he has issues with many of the proposals the Democratic Party supports including open borders.

"Look around you and see how many children are addicted on drugs and it all comes across the southern border," he said. "I voted for Trump. I’m a conservative in general, but all you have to do is look at what he has done. He has done more in the first six months than since Eisenhower."

Early voting will continue until noon Nov. 2 at both the Brownstown and Seymour sites. The hours for the Brownstown site will be 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 24 and 31.

The Seymour polling site will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. It also will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 24 and 31.

Both will close for the last time at noon Nov. 2.

By Monday, 1,224 county residents had submitted absentee ballots to the voter registration office at the county clerk’s office in Brownstown while another 859 remain outstanding, according to information provided by Voter Registration Clerk Andrea Edwards.

For those looking to vote absentee, a vote-by-mail ballot can be requested until Oct. 22.

Contested races in the Nov. 3 election include president of the United States between Democratic nominee Joe Biden and current Republican President Donald Trump.

Locally, District 69 state representative will be decided between Jim Lucas (R), Katrina Hardwick (I) and Jeffery Prewitt (D).

The Ninth Congressional District representative race is between Trey Hollingsworth (R) and Andy Ruff (D).

In Jackson County, the race for coroner has come down to Paul Foster (R) and Jeff Walters (D).

In the race for county commissioner District 2 are Bob Gillaspy (R) and John Schafstall (D).

There are six candidates vying for three at-large county council seats: Dave Hall (R), John Nolting (R), Brett Turner (R), Brad Smith (D), Scott Olsen (D) and Yvonne Willhite (D).

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