LEWISTON — Two years ago, the line at City Hall for voter registration and absentee ballots went all the way out to the street when the clerk’s office opened for Saturday hours.
“We always get a big push on the weekend right before an election, so that’s what we’re getting ready for,” Assistant City Clerk Jessica Hanscombe said.
The clerks’ offices at the Lewiston City Hall and Auburn Hall will be open from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday for voter registration and absentee voting.
“Usually, the Friday right before an election is the busiest day for absentee ballots,” Hanscombe said. In 2008, the city had 1,300 voters submit absentee ballots during the last week before the election.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Lewiston had issued 2,637 absentee ballots and had 2,083 returned by voters. Auburn City Clerk Roberta Fogg said her department has issued 2,195 absentee ballots and has had 1,694 returned.
This is the last day for voters to contact either clerks’ office and have an absentee ballot mailed to them. Lewiston City Clerk Kathy Montejo said her office will continue to mail absentee ballots until Thursday’s close of business and will give them to registered voters by hand at her office until the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
“There just isn’t enough time between now and then to make it through the mail system,” Montejo said.
The polls are scheduled to open at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2. Lewiston has four polling places for seven wards:
* Wards 1 and 3 vote at the Lewiston Armory, 65 Central Ave.
* Wards 4, 5 and 7 vote at the Multi-Purpose Center, 145 Birch St.
* Ward 2 votes at Montello School, 407 East Ave.
* Ward 6 votes at the Elks Lodge, 1675 Lisbon Road.
Auburn has five polling places:
*Ward 1 votes at Washburn School, 35 Lake Auburn Ave.
* Ward 2 votes at Auburn Middle School, 38 Falcon Drive.
* Ward 3 votes at Auburn Hall, 60 Court St.
*Ward 4 votes at Fairview School, 397 Minot Ave.
*Ward 5 votes at Sherwood Heights School, 32 Sherwood Drive.
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