FILE - Voting booths are set up at a polling place in Newtown, Pa., Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Over 12,000 county residents have received their mail-in ballots for the Presidential election in less than two weeks. Of that number about 8,000 have returned their ballots.

“That’s not quite 2020 numbers, but we have a little less than a week to get there,” said Forrest Lehman, director of Voter Services in the county.

“What was a lot different this time is that more of those numbers were spread out over the course of this month in terms of foot traffic into the office,” Lehman said.

“That’s been the really big challenge because, in 2020, we sent out 13,000 but 10 (thousand) of them went out the door all at once 30 days before the election. The other 3,000 happened over the course of the month,” Lehman said.

This year, he said, was “completely different,” with his office sending out 6,5000 and the rest being in the office.

“Mailing them out every day. People lined up down the hall…my staff there has been amazing. They have been working 10- to 11-hour days,” he said.

The hall outside the Voters Service office on the first floor of Third Street Plaza indicates the reality of the situation as chairs line one side for those waiting to apply for a mail-in ballot.

Applications for mail-in or absentee ballots must be received at the election office by 5 p.m. today, and the completed ballot must be received at the election office by 8 p.m. Nov. 5. A postmark of that date and time is not sufficient, according to information from Voter Services.

Commissioner Chairman Scott Metzger remarked that he had heard on the news that the number of mail-in ballots nationally is up to 20 million and “growing each day.”

Voter Services has posted a message on its website stating that the office is experiencing a high volume of walk-in traffic every day.

“Anyone attempting to visit Voter Services in person to request a mail ballot over the counter should allow 30 to 45 minutes to complete the process. Lines may be longer during peak periods,” the notice states.

Speaking to the issue of mail-in ballots, Lehman said, “It’s continued to be an adjustment here in Pennsylvania, preparing for that because we don’t have early in-person voting…a lot of people come in and we have them do an application for a mail in ballot, put them in all these envelopes and that’s a lot of administrative effort to do that.”

“My staff is dealing with it very well, but it’s been a challenge because…it’s a small staff,” he said, adding that county employees from other departments have also been helping.

Another election related item approved by the commissioners was a change order with H&P Construction in the amount of $16,730 for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) polling place construction at the Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Company. Lehman noted that the fire company site is used by two precincts for voting.