22,000 voters have already cast their ballot

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - With the general election less than a week away, and early voting coming to an end, we have an update on how many people have already voted in Yuma County.

"I would encourage people to vote early, but if they can't make sure to vote on Election Day, just vote," said Yuma County Recorder Richard Colwell.

As of Tuesday, voter services have processed over 4,000 early in-person voters, meanwhile, the election's services staff has counted over 18,000 ballots.

This means about 22,000 out of the approximate 111,000 registered voters in Yuma County have already cast their ballots.

That's almost 20% of all registered voters in Yuma County.

If you have a mail in ballot still, it is no longer recommended to mail it in, but instead drop it off in person.

"What I would recommend to the voters is to use one of our ballot drop boxes. They're located at all the libraries in Yuma County and there’s a ballot drop box inside and outside the Recorder's Office," said Colwell.

Cowlwell also shares how they plan to keep voters safe on Election Night.

"There will be law enforcement nearby. They won't necessarily be in the vote centers because they can't be, but there will be plenty of security in place to ensure the safety of our staff and voters on Election Day," said Colwell.

One voter shares why they recommend early voting.

"It avoids the rush on election day. It gives people a chance to look over the ballot, to research the issues, to get information about what there is," said Yuma local Mary Beth Turner.

Early in-person voting ends Friday, November 1, at 7 p.m. at the Yuma County Recorder's Office.