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41 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, January 25, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 20, 2004 Elections office assistant Sharon Martinez received the first postal shipment of mail-in ballots Tuesday afternoon. Voters also lined up to drop ballots in a curbside box in front of the elections office. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Voting often ... and early Jackson County residents just can’t wait until the final moment to cast ballots By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Eager voters already were rushing their ballots back to the Jackson County elections office Tuesday, two weeks before election day and just days after they were mailed out. A line of drivers pulled up to a white curbside drop box in front of the elections office at 1101 W. Main St. to turn in ballots. Inside, elections workers said a steady stream of voters stopped in to drop their ballots into a big silver box on the counter. Tuesday also was the first day the office got ballots returned by mail. Postal employee Joe Zuckman rolled a cart laden with hundreds and hundreds of ballots packed in flat boxes off the elevator. "This is a light day," he said, noting that his deliveries will get much heavier as the Nov. 2 deadline nears. Sharon Martinez, elections office assistant, said workers haven’t started counting ballots. Advertisement In fact, they were still sending ballots out to newly registered voters Tuesday. The first wave of more than 115,000 ballots went out to Jackson County residents Friday, officials said. Another 3,144 were sent Monday. "I made up my mind early and just want to get it behind me," said Ron Toombs, of Jacksonville, as he deposited his and his wife’s ballots into the drive-up drop box. Some voters were so eager to get their ballots in to be counted, they were banging on the doors at the Jacksonville library early Tuesday, said branch supervisor Janice Sanders. Drop sites at libraries around the county don’t open until Monday. "Every time, people come in as soon as they see an (news) article with the drop sites, or the minute they get their ballot," Sanders said. She said other libraries around the county reported similar problems with overeager voters, some who became angry that they couldn’t leave their ballots. The librarians theorized that after the electoral confusion of the 2000 election in Florida, people are especially avid to get their votes in. Officials are also extra cautious about making sure ballots are handled correctly and won’t allow libraries to accept ballots before the official drop boxes open there, Sanders said. At the elections office where ballots are being accepted, Medford Bush-supporter John Heigl leaned out of his pick-up truck to drop off his ballot. "I was motivated to make a difference," he said. "There’s not enough people voting." He said he had his position on all the measures and candidates figured out early, anyway. Holly East, who lives in Ashland but works in Medford, dropped of her ballot in support of Kerry so she wouldn’t have to mail it or wait until other drop sites open. "I’m an avid Kerry supporter," she said. "I’m not even anti-Bush; I really like Kerry." Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers