Early Voting Reaches Record Highs - FOX 42: Omaha News, Sports and Weather; kptm.com |

Meghan McRoberts

OMAHA (KPTM)- Election day is still weeks away, but county election commissioners across Nebraska say they're already getting record numbers of early voters.

Voters came to the Douglas County elections office Wednesday to vote at the polls, and drop of take home ballots.

"I expect the next couple of weeks it's going to get even busier," said Douglas County Election Commissioner Dave Phipps.

Phipps says already, nearly 57,000 voters have requested early ballots in the mail. 4500 have already voted in person. Phipps says those numbers together already beat the early voting numbers from 2008.

"It's better and better and bigger and bigger every year. Once you do it, I think you'll continue to do it," said Phipps.

Other counties are seeing record and near record early voter turnout. Lancaster County officials say they've seen nearly 17,000 early votes, already more than in 2008.

In Sarpy County, there's been nearly 20,000 early votes. There were approximately 30,000 early votes in 2008, but officials say there's still weeks to reach that number.

 " I think more and more people as we're getting closer and the debates are going on, more people are getting interested," said early voter Bryan Woita.

Woita says he votes in every election to exercise his rights.

Early voter Rhonda Saferstein said she dropped off ballots early for her family. "My daughter can't be here physically, and my mother is 88 years old so it's hard for her to get around so this enables her to vote," said Saferstein.

Woita says he voted early just to make it quick. "I don't really like to stand in line on election day."

Phipps says there's more reasons why early voter numbers keep rising. "You don't have to worry about being sick or busy, or having a sick kid, or being out of town on election day. You can just do it in the comfort of your home.

Phipps say though early voting is up, he doesn't expect overall voter turnout to be higher than it was in 2008.