Payson Roundup

The election season is shaping up, with one-quarter of county residents having already cast early ballots in the presidential race and 45 percent of Payson residents having voted in the YMCA mail-in election.

Chief Deputy Recorder Dawn Caldera said voting numbers are high because of heavy campaigning by both presidential and Gila County supervisor candidates.

As of Oct. 27, 7,950 early ballots had been returned out of 13,104 mailed. This represents 25 percent of the 31,297 registered voters in Gila County.

Caldera said she expects high voter turnout on Nov. 4, but stressed it is important to send in mail-in ballots soon.

“A lot of people wait to the end to pick the right person,” Caldera said. “We have to send away any late ballots and they do not count if they come in late.”

All mail-in ballots must be returned to the recorder’s office by 7 p.m., Nov. 4. Ballots received later do not count, even ballots postmarked Nov. 4.

Oct. 31 is the last day to early vote at the Payson office, 701 W. Frontier St.

Of the nearly 9,400 ballots mailed to Payson residents regarding the YMCA, 4,179 were returned to Town Hall by Oct. 27.

All YMCA ballots must be returned to Town Hall, 303 N. Beeline Highway by Nov. 4.