The Nov. 5 General Election in Polk County is shaping up to be historic in terms of voter turnout. At the close of the first week of early voting, 9,069 ballots had been cast.
“That’s almost what we normally have in a two-week period. I’m glad to see such a great turnout,” Polk County Clerk Schelana Hock said, adding, “I’ve had a lot of elders tell me they’ve never seen lines like we’ve had in this election.”
Of the 9,069 ballots cast thusfar, 5,431 were cast at the Polk County Judicial Center in Livingston; 2,686 were cast at the Onalaska Sub-Courthouse in Onalaska; and 952 were cast at the Sechrest Webster Community Center in Corrigan.
The presidential and U.S. Senate races, as well as contested races in the City of Livingston, are seemingly driving the increased voter turnout.
Following reports Wednesday that some ballots did not have the Livingston ISD school board race on them, Hock released a statement Thursday.
“The Polk County Clerk assumed responsibility for election administration (voter registration) for all Polk County entities in January 2023. Standard practice is to work in conjunction with the contracting entities (cities, schools and utility districts) to verify the official list of registered voters. Voter lists were provided upon request for verification purposes.
“At this time, the City of Livingston and Livingston ISD information has been reviewed. However, if your ballot appears to be incorrect, please notify a poll worker before casting your vote. Prior to going to vote, please verify your location and ballot. Several residents were confused because they were ineligible to vote in the City of Livingston elections. At this moment, it appears that portions of Precinct 18 and Precinct 21 were the only voting boxes affected. All that information was updated prior to polls opening on Thursday, October 24, 2024.
“This is the first time Polk County has held a joint election that included national, state, county, cities and school districts. We cannot emphasize enough that you review and verify your ballot before you cast your vote.”
Early voting in Polk County has featured extended hours this year, as well as the addition of a Saturday and Sunday.
Three locations – open to all registered voters – are available for early voting. The three locations are the Polk County Judicial Center at 101 W. Mill St. in Livingston, the Sechrest Webster Community Center at 100 W. Front St. in Corrigan and the Onalaska Sub-Courthouse at 14111 US Hwy. 190 West in Onalaska. Voters may vote at ANY of the three locations.
Voters may vote early from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today (Sunday) at all three locations and the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., also at all three locations, Monday through Friday.
