Early Salina Voting Points to Big Turnout

It’s over – advance voting in Saline County ended Monday at noon after robust crowds showed up to get a jump on election day.

Saline County Clerk Don Merriman tells KSAL News that nearly 800 people walked in to cast their ballot on Friday.

“Just this past Friday alone we had 775 people in that office voting,” he said.

“That’s as many people as we get sometimes at a polling place between 7am and 7pm.”

Merriman told KSAL listeners on Monday morning, people were lined up again ready to vote before the deadline today.

Merriman pointed out the efforts of his staff, and the many volunteers it takes to man the polling places throughout Saline County. “We’ve got about 130 machines deployed, he said.

“It’s a huge, huge process from the little commemorative pins, to the ‘I Voted’ buttons to pens and pencils and all the stuff it takes to put together an election. There’s lots and lots of moving parts.”

Merriman is predicting a turnout of 68-percent in Saline County.

“We’ve got some excellent people running and some excellent races,” he said.