Thousands of voters have already made their way to the polls early to cast a ballot in the upcoming November 3 election, and more are expected for a year where record turnouts are expected across the board.

Polk County Elections Coordinator Brande Coggins reported that as the week came to a close, some 4,553 votes have already been cast in-person between the Cedartown and Rockmart precincts. Along with in-person voters, a total of 1,720 absentee mail-in ballots have already been returned back to the Board of Elections.

These were the figures as of the close of business on Friday afternoon, October 16, wrapping up the first week of early voting for Polk County. Two more weeks of voting prior to the November 3 election remain.

Here’s is who and what is on the ballot for the 2020 election.

Early voting continues first thing Monday morning at both the Cedartown and Rockmart precincts at 9 a.m. and remains open until 5 p.m., and that schedule remains in place Monday through Friday next week.

The pair of precincts for Early Voting are located at 605 Goodyear Ave., Rockmart at the Nathan Dean Community Center, or at the Board of Elections office at the County Administration Building at 144 West Ave., Cedartown.

A Saturday voting day at both the Cedartown and Rockmart precincts will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 24, and extended hours until 7 p.m. will be available on Tuesday and Thursday, October 27 and October 29, during the final week of early voting. For those planning to early vote, be sure to have your driver’s license with you as proof of identification, or another form of Photo ID approved by the state, like a U.S. Passport.

The final week of early voting’s other three days will hold a regular 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule. October 30 closes out early voting ahead of the November 3 election completely.

Social distancing guidelines are in place to keep people from bunching up together, and touchscreens are being cleaned by elections personnel between uses.

Absentee ballots can be requested from the Board of Elections office. Call 770-749-2103 for more information. People can track their ballot at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov or call the Board of Elections to request an update.

Anyone who requests a ballot and decides they want to vote in person can surrender the ballot, and cast their vote early or at their precinct on November 3, but they should be aware than an additional process is involved with that option.

Note that trying to cast an absentee ballot by mailing it in before the deadline, then voting in person is illegal and is punishable by a felony charge that carries stiff penalties.

All absentee ballots must be returned before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3 to be counted.