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Early voting started in Troup County Monday, and more than 5,000 absentee ballots are outstanding. 

Troup County Elections Manager Andrew Harper said 242 people early voted Monday. He said considering COVID-19, the numbers are good, but he’s seen much larger numbers in the past considering it’s a presidential election year.

Troup County Manager Eric Mosley said he expects to see much bigger numbers in November.

Early voting will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until June 5. There is an opportunity to vote on Saturday as well from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 30 at the government building. Election day is June 9, and the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at individual voting precincts.

When Troup County residents show up at the government center to vote, they first have their temperature checked by a member of the Troup County Sheriff’s Office. If there is a line to vote, there are individual places measured six feet apart. Once inside the voting rooms, residents will check in with a volunteer to select a Democratic or Republican ballot, and then proceed to a voting booth with a space between each one to practice social distancing.

After filling out their ballot, the voter will verify their ballot and feed it into a machine that will be counted on June 9.

If a person did not vote for president in March, they will also vote for the presidential preference on this ballot. If they did cast a vote in March for the president, it will not appear on their ballot.

Every voter will have the chance to vote in non-partisan races like the Troup County School Board, as long as they live in a district with a contested race.

On Monday, Harper said the county had received more than 3,338 absentee ballots to the office, and they have issued more than 8,500 ballots with more being requested Tuesday.

“This is the most I’ve ever seen since I’ve been here in 2014,” he said.

In 2016, the county received about 2,500 absentee ballots. The disparity in absentee ballots is expected due to COVID-19.

Mosley said people could mail their absentee ballots, drop them off at the elections office, fax them or email them in. All absentee ballots are due by June 5.