By Stephen Faleski

Staff Writer

 

 

Of the 954 voters who participated in Smithfield’s Town Council election on Tuesday, more than half did so by mail.

 

According to Victoria Mainwaring, deputy registrar for Isle of Wight County, the Registrar’s Office received a total of 505 absentee ballots. That’s a significant increase over what the Isle of Wight County Registrar’s Office usually sees.

“We usually just have a handful,” she said.

 

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Registrar’s Office and the Town of Smithfield had encouraged residents to vote absentee, with the town including “vote at home information in its Spring newsletter. The Registrar’s Office had also posted links to the county’s website and Online Citizen Portal, specifying options for applying for an absentee ballot.