JAY – Town clerks around the state are gearing up for Election Day. Some even say this year is turning out to be a less stressful presidential election than others.

Absentee ballots are coming in at a steady stream, equipment is being checked and clerks are accommodating those who may not have yet registered to vote.

Jay and Livermore Falls are holding a register to vote night prior to the election, Tuesday, Nov. 4.

In Jay, registrars of voting will be available from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 28, at the town office. In Livermore Falls, the registrar will hold special hours from 5 to 7 p.m. that same day. In both cases, the town offices will conduct no other business during those hours.

Phillips Town Clerk Evelyn Wilbur said she has been going to people’s homes to accommodate those who cannot make it to the town office. People may call her at home at 639-4287, if they need to register.

Wilbur is planning to hold voting at a new polling place for Phillips on Nov. 4. It will be at the old primary school building on Russell Street. The site will accommodate more people, she said, so nobody should have to stand outside.

Avon Town Clerk Mary Dunham has also been accommodating callers wishing to register and plans to be at the municipal building from 8 a.m. to noon for the two Saturdays prior to election, Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.

In Rangeley, Town Clerk Ethna Thompson said there is discussion of holding a special voter registration period one day next week at the school, but it hasn’t been finalized.

Others are conducting registration during office hours on a daily basis.

Chesterville Town Clerk Patricia Gordon said she has already had 65 absentee ballots submitted, and that is 15 more than normal. And there are two weeks left to Election Day.

A dial-up Internet connection is slowing her access to the central voter registration system.

“Everything we do for absentee voting has to go online,” Gordon said. “I’m glad everybody is voting. I don’t mind the extra work as long as I can get it done.”

She plans to open absentee ballots at 1 p.m. Election Day, she said. Usually she does it the evening, but with the additional ballots, she said, she’ll do it earlier.

Jay Town Clerk Ronda Palmer said the election process has been a lot smoother than other years.

She loves the new online registration system but believes it could be a nightmare for those who don’t have quick access to the Internet.

Years ago, towns sent postcards to people for voter registration but now she can go into the state’s system and check the voter’s previous residence and pull their name over to the town’s list. The town where that person was registered before, she said, will get a notice of where that person is now registered to vote.

“It’s really a good system,” Palmer said.

Jay has already received about 215 marked absentee ballots, and there are probably another 100 out there, she said. The last presidential election the town had about 500.

Farmington Town Clerk Leanne Pinkham was over at the Community Building on Wednesday checking the voting equipment to see if it was working.

She said she is surprised that she only has about 600 absentee ballots.

“I was expecting thousands,” Pinkham said.