HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Voting is a bit different this year, as safety is a big concern for folks during the pandemic. Many have chose to vote absentee while others voted in-person.
"Oh I'm smiling, I need to draw a smile!," says Laura Innes, with her face mask on.
Innes is one of the folks who voted in-person at the First Baptist Church on Governors Drive. She says her voting experience during was easy.
"The hardest thing I've had is trying to get this stamp off," says Innes.
Innes says she was impressed by the safety measures. "The first thing I noticed when I walked in I thought, they had done an excellent job as far as the virus safety. Excellent!"
Meanwhile, Kristie McShane who works near First Baptist Church stumbled across the sign encouraging face masks.
Her concern is that it was not mandatory.
"I'm somewhat concerned and appalled and do not understand why only face masks are encouraged when Kay Ivey, our state governor has mandated our masks," says McShane.
McShane says it could prevent people from voting. "I think it may discourage the other people from coming in, especially the older population."
In North Huntsville, folks at the Oakwood University Church Family Life Center turned out to vote, including one Air Force Veteran David Mathis, who says he's fighting stage four cancer.
"The voting experience was fine. I mean, I felt safe. Everyone is wearing their mask. We're disinfecting our hands," says Mathis.
However, Mathis says he'll consider voting absentee this November. "And due to still fighting cancer, I don't want to be around taking those chances. My numbers go up the more people I'm around."
Elections officials say this election they received more than 5 times the number of absentee ballot requests.