BETHEL — Election Day did not come without some drama for one resident last week. Alex Duclos, a registered Bethel voter, was at school in Massachusetts when he learned his ballot had ended up in Bethel, N.C.
“I was sick to my stomach when I saw the ballot,” Bethel, N.C. Town Clerk Jessica Britt said. “In an election as crucial as this one, every vote counts and every voice needs to be heard.”
When Britt realized the mistake she raced back to the town office and looked up the phone number for the Bethel, Maine Town Office. She got in contact with Bethel Town Manager Loretta Powers.
Powers reached out to the Secretary of State’s office and also spoke to Britt and Duclos.
Duclos wondered if his ballot could be accepted after the polls closed, but Powers said it needed to get there before 8 p.m., when polls closed. Duclos did not have anyway to get to Bethel.
“I was instantly stressed out because I had no idea if my vote was going to count,” Duclos said.
After multiple phone calls, including one with Duclos, Britt went to the post office and spoke with the postmaster. According to Britt, the postmaster was able to get the ballot shipped in an “express bag,” where it ended up arriving in Bethel on Tuesday afternoon. Powers said she got the ballot Tuesday afternoon around 2:30 p.m., about eight hours after it was shipped out. Duclos’ vote was going to count, a huge relief for someone voting in their first presidential election.
“Jessica really helped me out. Without her, my vote would not have counted,” Duclos said. “I was super happy with the support I received during this and I’m happy people cared enough to get my vote in on time.”
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