People line up before dawn for early voting in Lucas County

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Tuesday marks the first day of the early voting period for Ohioans, and people were already lined up at the Lucas County Early Voting Center before sunrise.

Newly appointed Toledo City Council member Cerssandra McPherson arrived at 4:30 a.m., but even she was beaten to the punch by father and daughter Harold and Jasmine Mosley -- they arrived at 11 Monday night and slept in their car.

The first three voters in Toledo have waited for hours to cast their ballots. Jasmine and Harold Mosley (right) camped out since 11 last night!

They say voting is “The Super Bowl of democracy.”

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— Kayla Molander (@kaylamolanderTV) October 6, 2020

Things will look a bit different this year at the Early Voting Center. The entrance has moved to the Washington St. side of the building, under the Ohio Means Jobs sign.

The polls opened at 8 a.m. and will remain open until 5 p.m.

In addition to the volume of people who may want to vote early, there are extra precautions because of the coronavirus that are bound to slow down the process. Everyone will have the temperatures taken and masks will need to be worn. In addition, sanitizing equipment between each voter will take time.

If a voter is sick, they still have the right to cast a ballot, and poll workers will help with accommodations.

The bottom line, according to Lucas County Board of Elections director Lavera Scott is to set aside a little extra time this year to vote.

“People need to take the time out and understand that it’s not going to be a five-minute thing,” Scott said. “We have to follow certain protocols. So there may be a line. And the line may look longer than it is because, as you know, if you pull up somewhere and they have a six-foot line spacing outside, there may actually be only ten people standing outside.”

If you would like to participate in Early Voting, it is available through November 2. For all but Lucas County, Early Voting is held at your local board of elections office. Voters in Lucas County will go to the Early Vote Center.

Meanwhile, Lucas County is still in need of poll workers. Those positions are paid and flexible. Go to the Lucas County Board of Elections website for more information.

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