2020 has been an unorthodox election year, to say the least.

With COVID-19 a looming threat to many potential voters, political campaigns and coalitions have been more actively promoting early and mail-in voting so everyone’s vote gets counted and less people are at risk for the coronavirus while waiting in line Nov. 3.

As of Tuesday, absentee voting in Jackson County had surpassed early voting numbers in 2016.

Combining mail-in and in-person absentee ballots from 2016, Jackson County had 4,903 ballots on hand and ready to be counted on Election Day.

As of Tuesday, Jackson County voters had cast 4,998 ballots either in person or by mail.

For in-person absentee voting, combined from two early voting locations in Brownstown and Seymour, 3,162 ballots have been cast. In 2016, 4,187 in-person absentee early vote ballots had been cast at those sites.

The total mail-in ballots received as of Tuesday was 1,836. In 2016, there were 716 mail-in ballots counted on Election Day.

The deadline for the county to receive mail-in absentee ballots is 11:59 p.m. today.

The absentee balloting sites are located in the Jackson County Judicial Center at 109 S. Sugar St. in Brownstown and the former Jackson Superior Court I at 1420 Corporate Way on Seymour’s west side.

Early voting started Oct. 6 and ends at noon Nov. 2.

Jackson County Clerk Melissa Hayes said some of the people voting early have told her they have concerns about being able to vote on Election Day because of possible restrictions that could be put in place if COVID-19 conditions worsen.

At the Seymour location, poll worker Sue Foster called the rate of people coming to vote early “consistently busy.”

She said there have been people waiting in the morning ready to vote every day when the site opens at 10 a.m. Hours there are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. That site also will be open from 8 a.m. to noon Nov. 2.

Andrea Edwards, the county voter registration clerk, said the Brownstown site has seen a steady flow of voters, too. Early voting hours there are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m Saturday.

The Jackson County Commissioners recently approved a list of the polling sites for the Nov. 3 election. The only change from the primary election involves registered voters in Jackson 3 North and Jackson 5 East, who will now be voting at Redeemer Lutheran Church at 504 N. Walnut St. in Seymour. During the primary, they voted at the American Legion Annex at 414 W. Second St. That building has since been sold.

Hand sanitizer will be available at each of the 20 polling sites, Hayes said, and voters are being asked to wear face masks.