According to Registrar and Director of Elections Nick Lima, early voting for the General Election has been going well and is starting to pick up. Lima said Monday that the city has averaged 180 early voters per day with an increase on Oct. 28 to 277 voters. He said Monday was likely to see more than 300 voters and anticipates the number to continue picking up every day this week. Historically, Lima added that the busiest day for early voting is the Monday before the General Election.

Early voting began Oct. 19 and continues until Nov. 7 at the Peter T. Pastore Youth Center. Individuals can stop by the center Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to cast their ballot. Lima noted that on Nov. 7 early voting ends at 4 p.m. across the state and anyone in line at 4 p.m. will be able to vote. Those who joined after 4 p.m. will have to go to their assigned polling place the following day.

So far in Cranston, the Secretary of State’s RI Voter Turnout Tracker shows that as of 10:10 a.m. on Nov. 1 the Board of Elections has received 1,540 mail ballots from Cranston residents and 1,844 Cranston residents have voted early. In Rhode Island, 19,139 mail ballots have been casted and 29,699 people chose to vote early.

Individuals can still drop off mail ballots at the mail ballot drop boxes. There are two drop boxes in Cranston: one at Cranston City Hall (869 Park Ave.) on the side entrance next to Cranston East and the RI Board of Elections (2000 Plainfield Pike) on the parking lot at Sailor Way entrance. Any completed Rhode Island mail ballot can be placed in any official Board of Elections Mail Ballot Drop Box, statewide, no later than 8 p.m. on election night. Drop boxes are located in all 39 cities and towns and universally close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 8. A full list of locations can be found by visiting elections.ri.gov/elections/dropboxes/index.php.

Per order of the state Board of Elections, a mail ballot receptacle will also be available inside all precinct polling locations on the day of the election. These receptacles will be open from 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 8. Voters can drop off their sealed mail ballots in these receptacles at any precinct polling location statewide on Election Day.

As for preparation for Election Day, Lima said things are going well and have over 100 city personnel helping to make things run smoothly. He recognized the Building Department, Department of Public Works, Department of Parks and Recreation, Highway Department, Cranston Police Department and others for their help.

“It’s really a city effort,” said Lima.

He also gave a shout out to the canvassing staff and poll workers for the long days and hours to make sure every vote counts. The canvassing staff have been working non-stop since June when candidates declared they were running.

For more information on your voting location and to locate a poll worker application, please visit the city website (cranstonri.gov/) or call the Cranston Board of Canvassers at 401-780-3127 to request more information. To view a sample ballot, visit vote.sos.ri.gov/Home/PollingPlaces?ActiveFlag=2.