The Carbon County Elections Bureau is in full swing preparing for the upcoming election and has noticed an uptick in the number of mail-in and absentee ballot applications it has received.

On Thursday, Lisa Dart, elections director, said there have been over 3,500 mail-in ballot applications.

All of the ballots received from February through Monday have been mailed out and the remaining applications received this week will be processed and in the mail by the end of today, she said.

In addition, many voters have already returned their completed mail-in and absentee ballots to the office.

Dart told Commissioner Chris Lukasevich, after he asked how she is securing those ballots, that all completed ballots are in locked boxes in her office and have security cameras on them.

To help with applying for and returning important election materials, the county has installed a mail slot right next to the front entrance of the 76 Susquehanna St. building.

Dart said this is not typical, but in the current circumstances, the county felt it would help her department.

The election board noted that its two full-timers and two part-timers, who are currently working full-time hours, as well as staff from the commissioners office, have been working to process all applications in a timely manner and get prepared for the upcoming primary election.

Dart said she has noticed a few problems with people applying for mail-in or absentee ballots, which include either applying multiple times or after applying wanting to change parties.

These things take her office extra time to process and mail out that person’s ballot.

Dart also wanted to convey to the voters that all mail-in ballots will be counted after she heard concerns from people saying mail-ins won’t count.

“They will all count,” she said. “Everyone’s vote will be recorded.”

Lukasevich stressed that the county doesn’t care how voters vote, but just wants voters to stay safe and most importantly, exercise their right to cast a vote on Election Day.

“At the end of the day it is about voting,” he said.