In-person early voting will be available Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Gasconade County Clerk’s Office in Hermann.

County Clerk Lesa Lietzow said prospective voters have the opportunity to cast in-person ballots from 8 a.m. to noon at her first-floor office in the Gasconade County Courthouse. This is an opportunity for voters who may be in COVID-19 quarantine to cast a ballot in person using a proxy voter.

Lietzow said the Gasconade County Health Department is recommending that voters in quarantine who wish to vote take advantage of this opportunity any time this week or on Saturday. If a potential voter is in COVID-19 quarantine protocol, election officials will have the proxy voter complete the ballot for the person seeking assistance.

Lietzow said the proxy voter could be a family member or friend but the actual voter must be present.

The proxy voter will be tasked with going into the clerk’s office to request a ballot. They will return to the vehicle with clerk’s staff.

“They will be the voter’s go-between,” said Lietzow.

Both the voter and the proxy voter should have a proof of identification.

A prospective voter with a quarantine status will be met at their vehicle by a county election official. The voter should have a third-party representative with them who they authorize to sign the voter log book and mark their candidate and amendment selections on the ballot.

“(An election official) will go to your car and confirm that’s who they want to do their voting for them,” said Lietzow. “This is the same procedure as any third party makes arrangements in advance to go to the courthouse. Ask someone else to pick up a drive-up ballot.”

She said there were three voters in August take advantage of this opportunity to cast ballots in person with the assistance of a proxy voter.

Lietzow said she is predicting a 75-percent turnout on election day. Up to 8,100 of the county’s 10,784 registered voters are expected to cast ballots.

As of Monday afternoon, Lietzow and her staff have processed 694 absentee ballot requests. Of those, 470 were mailed out and 224 were cast in person. Absentee ballots being returned by mail are due by 7 p.m. next Tuesday. In-person absentee voting may be conducted until 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, at the courthouse.

She has no worries about running out of ballots. The county has printed out 110 percent of the number need to accommodate all 10,784 potential voters. Extra ballots are typically printed and on hand at the precincts to allow for spoilage.

“It’s common to order 110 percent of the ballots,” Lietzow noted. “It makes sense.”

Extra election judges will be in position at three of the largest polling precincts on Nov. 3.

Lietzow said the extra judges will be at the Bland/Canaan precinct, Little Berger at Shepherd of the Hills Church outside Hermann, and Rural Canaan at Owensville High School. The extra precinct judges will also be tasked with helping with periodic cleaning of voting booths, tables, and other surfaces.

At these three locations, voters will be directed to separate check-in stations based on the first letter of their last name. The polling registration book will be divided into A-K and L-Z names. The rest of the voting process will remain unchanged.

Social distancing markers will be placed on the floors of all precincts to help voters maintain proper 6-foot intervals between themselves and others.

“I think they’re going to be busy,” said Lietzow of the election judges. “Obviously busier than they have been before.”

Training sessions have been conducted. Voting equipment will be set up Monday across the county. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

Those still in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast ballots.

This is the county’s fourth election in 2020 and Lietzow said her staff and collection of precinct workers are ready. “We’re good,” said Lietzow. “We’re ready.”

Asked if results will be finalized on election night, Lietzow laughed, and said, “It will be final. Here. Can’t speak beyond the confines of here.”

County voters will have only one contested race at the county level.

Jerry D. Lairmore, a Republican from Owensville and incumbent Southern District Commissioner, is being challenged by Democrat Jerry L. Spurgeon, Owensville.

Uncontested on the Nov. 3 ballot are Republicans Scott Eiler (sheriff), Paul W. Schulte (assessor), Kelly Brehe-Thomas (public administrator),  Jeffrey Arnold (coroner), and Vincent C. Klott (surveyor).