Both habitual voters and relative novices stood in line at the noon hour outside the Pulaski County Regional Building to cast their ballots more than two weeks before the Nov. 8 election.
More than 600 people had voted by noon, a typical number for early voting at that location, said an election volunteer. Nine sites across Pulaski County opened their doors to citizens who wanted to submit their ballots before the official Election Day.
Some voters, like Drew Harris, said they showed up early just to be done with the whole ordeal. Harris said he has kept his political opinions, including which nominee won his support, to himself this year. He wrote “nonpartisan” on his paperwork when asked to disclose a party affiliation.
“Everything’s been so divisive,” Harris said. “It kills me.”
Pamela Abrams was also glad to be done with the voting process, saying she and her family can’t believe the hostile environment this year’s presidential campaign created.
"I just want it over with," she said.
Abrams, who voted for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, said she’s “never missed” a chance to vote for president and focused mostly about education and underserved populations when making her decision this year.
Unlike Abrams, James Sewell said he hasn’t cast a ballot since the early 1990s. He decided to show up Monday and vote for Republican nominee Donald J. Trump, who he said falls more in line with his Christian values, because it was better than staying home and doing nothing.
“We [haven't] got a very good choice in either candidate,” Sewell said.
“But if you don’t vote, it’s your fault if the candidate you don’t want gets elected,” he added.
Karen Jackson said she was not particularly invested in federal elections either until the 2008 race. After supporting President Barack Obama then, she became an ardent Clinton supporter, saying she picked who she would vote for this election cycle “years ago.”
Early voting also attracted those who took more time to make up their minds. Medical student Davis Fleming said he weighed the two major party candidates for a long time and sought opinions from his friends on who to support before eventually landing on Clinton.
Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details on the start of early voting in the state.