Elections office reports 6,500 absentee returns; processing delays reported

An elections official reported to the board that the county had received about 6,500 absentee returns and that the verification and state-approval steps can cause processing to take as long as an hour and a half. Officials said the state backlog contributes to delays and urged voters to plan ahead or return later; they also said staff are working 10-hour days and will work Saturday mornings to keep up with workload.