ROANOKE, Va. – With Election Day just around the corner, excitement is building as voters prepare to make their voices heard.
Although it’s quiet now at Hollins Road Baptist Church, a polling location, tomorrow is expected to bring a surge of activity as voters line up to cast their ballots.
Election officials are diligently preparing for the big day, ensuring that polling locations are fully equipped with the essentials.
“There’s a lot; we got three teams out there taking care of all the 20 precincts. We deliver tables, we deliver the equipment, and we deliver basically anything that they need to operate smoothly,” said Adam Jones, assistant chief at East Gate Precinct.
Their efforts are focused on providing a seamless voting experience for everyone in the community. Election officials have expressed confidence in their readiness for the expected crowds.
“Really, I don’t see anything out of the ordinary happening other than the amount of people coming to vote, but for a presidential election, that’s not really out of the ordinary. That’s just what happens,” said Jones.
To manage the anticipated influx of voters, officials have increased staffing levels across the precincts.
“Well, during early voting, we had 17,000 total people come out. There were certain days where there were over a thousand, and we really just can’t have it running smoothly with five or six staff members like normal, so we have it beefed up to almost double at almost every precinct,” Jones added.
Preparations were ongoing throughout the day to ensure that everything goes according to plan on Election Day.
“Everyone is very well trained and knows what they are doing, and it will be as good as possible,” one official noted.
If you plan to cast your vote on Election Day, be sure to check your polling location through the Virginia Department of Elections. Polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.