Early voter turnout hits record high in Bell County

WACO, Texas (KWTX) – Early voting ended Friday and over the past two weeks, Bell County has seen record early voting numbers.

Polling place parking lots across Central Texas were packed with voters waiting for their voices to be heard.

Waco resident Linda Trainor said she went to the Waco First Assembly of God to cast her vote while setting a good example for her granddaughter.

“I think it's great, and there was quite a bit of applause for new voters inside for making their announcement, as they did for my granddaughter who was voting for the first time,” Trainor said.

Election officials said more voters were coming to the polls.

McLennan County said more than 66,000 people voted early and Bell County said there were 95,000 people and counting.

Bell County said although the 2020 election cycle included an additional week of early voting, the number of early voting this year exceeds that number by thousands.

Officials said the county has already exceeded 2016's initial voting numbers, adding that the county would have exceeded 2016 numbers even if no one voted Friday.

James Stafford, public information officer for Bell County, said these numbers would not have been possible without voters and poll workers.

“I'm really, really proud of our community for being so motivated to participate in early voting. “I’m also very proud of the elections office, poll workers and poll workers who are working tooth and nail to make this happen,” Stafford said.

Waco Area resident Ryesha Carrie said she talks to her students about the importance of voting.

She said if you teach children lessons from a young age, they are likely to carry them into their adult lives.

“I tell my students it’s just one of me. But if it's just one of you, and it's one of someone else, and it's one of someone else, and it's one of someone else, then there will be many,” Carrie said.

Election administrators said based on how voting has gone so far, they expect Tuesday to be Bell County's busiest election day ever.

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