QUINCY, MASS. (WHDH) - In the city of presidents, about 8,000 residents voted early in 2016. This year, 15,000 ballots and counting have already been processed.
It’s a busy scene inside Quincy City Hall as election workers count up thousands of ballots.
The women in the room where it happens are handling sealed ballots, scanning in a bar code then opening them.
In another room, the ballots are fed into a tabulation machine where all votes are counted.
Once the city clerk certifies the ballots, she places these security seals on them, then stacks of the ballots are bagged up and placed in a locked closet where they will be secure.
They take election security very seriously. All employees are required to take an oath as they are sworn in.
‘We do have an officer here at all times, most of the times two officers,” City Clerk Nicole Crispo said. “One at early voting and one down here with us.
Upstairs, in the City Council Chambers, about 500 residents a day have been coming in to vote early. The numbers are only increasing as the week goes on.
Masks are required, as is social distancing and plenty of hand sanitizer for people to do their duty for democracy. There is also a drop off box located just outside City Hall
“It’s going to be a very different election than we’ve seen in the past,” voter Sarah McGill said. “I’ll be interested to see when we fianlly get a decision who is elected.
Wednesday is the deadline to request an early voting ballot.
Quincy officials expect half their votes to be cast early. In-person early voting will go on until Friday.
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