Video: Presidential Election Preparations

COLUMBUS, Miss.(WCBI)—For Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton the campaign trail is coming to an end.

The presidential election is exactly a week away. The work intensifies for local election officials.

Preparation and organization,  Lowndes County Election Commissioner Sherry Guyton says, those are the key components to making sure any election runs smoothly.

” We’ll come up here Friday and we’ll put our poll books together we make sure that everything in our boxes over there we make sure we have everything that the poll workers need in the boxes. Then Monday November the 7th the day before elections we go out we take these machines out we have the trustees help us set the machines up at each precinct make sure they are plugged in and ready for election day ,”said Guyton.

If you’re a first-time voter or uncomfortable with the technology, Guyton says don’t worry. There will be volunteers at all precincts to help.

If you older or some might be afraid of machines they can ask someone to help them. They stick the card in the machine and it will start. The names will come up, we have small content high content some for the disable to hear with. They stick the card in they take their time the names pop up. You have a chance to go back a review every one that you did and you just cast your vote the card pops out and you take it back to the table,”said Guyton.

Lowndes County Circuit Clerk Teresa Barksdale says though the candidates and poll workers have been preparing for the election, the voters should be prepared as well…with proper i-d.

“Have your I.D. Ready um that’s very important because the election workers are going to ask for that when you go to your table to sign in and um just be prepared you know you may have some long lines. The peak time is usually early in the morning around lunch time and anywhere from 5-7,” said Barksdale.

As for potential problems at the polls or accusations of unfair outcomes, both women say the process is handled with the utmost care.
“I can’t speak for any other states or the other counties but but like I said our election commissioners test each of our machines however many they deem necessary to go out to each of the polls and we do that before each election, said Barksdale.

“I can speak for Lowndes county that’s not true cause we test our machines like I said the L.N.A. testing. That’s never happened and I hope it never will,” said Guyton.

Already 1,345 absentee ballots have been cast in Lowndes County. Polls will be open next Tuesday from 7am-7pm.

Categories: Local News

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