Jackson County Public Library at 303 W. Second St. in Seymour is serving as the only early vote center at this time.
Chey Smith | The Tribune
Signs at the front entrance of the Jackson County Public Library at 303 W. Second St. in Seymour guides voters to the right room to cast a ballot for the May 7 primary.
Chey Smith | The Tribune
If you want to get a head start by voting early for the May 7 primary, visit the Jackson County Public Library at 303 W. Second St. in Seymour.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, the first voters in Jackson County were able to come in and submit their ballots at the only vote center open at this time. Voting will continue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each weekday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 27 and May 3. It also will be open from 8 a.m. to noon May 6.
The library has signs to help lead voters to the meeting room, where voting takes place.
One of the poll workers, Bonnie Daab, said Wednesday that it had not been busy, but for the first day, there was a surprising turnout. Voting is expected to improve as election day nears.
There were a handful of new faces helping out for early voting, including Dee Hess, who had no experience working the polls until this election.
Hess said she was impressed by the new voting machines used rather than the old, clunkier ones and the systems in place to make sure the process is efficient and secure.
When asked about the importance of voting, Hess said she believes the most important thing on everyone’s minds is the “migrant thing,” which may be the driving force for many voters this election season.
Voter Olga Otte of Cortland said it is important to be both interested in voting and knowledgeable about the candidates.
When voting, Otte said she was not pleased with all of her options. She found that for some races, she wasn’t voting for anyone and had left the spots blank.
“They both have problems,” Otte said about the two presidential candidates, President Biden and former President Donald Trump.
The other vote centers, which will open two weeks before the election on April 22, are at the Jackson County Courthouse, 111 S. Main St., Brownstown, and the Jackson County Learning Center, 323 Dupont Drive, Seymour.
The hours for those voting centers are noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; noon to 5 p.m. Friday before the May 7 primary. The Learning Center site also will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 27 and May 4.