SHERWOOD, Ark. — According to a Pulaski County Clerk’s office representative, the First Christian Church in Sherwood tends to be the county’s busiest early voting site.
Some voters reported a 30-minute wait to vote there Saturday morning, but most still said it was a good experience overall.
“It’s nice to see people's full faces this time,” Sherwood resident Thomas Liddil said. “Rather than 2020 when we only saw eyebrows and eyeballs.”
Voters of all ages turned out to cast their ballots. Take Aubrey Messick, for example—he turned 18 just 24 hours before going to vote.
“I've done some classes about voting and stuff like that,” Messick said. “It was kind of what I expected.”
But Haven Williams, another first-time voter, said she didn’t feel the same way as she didn't know what to do.
However, her family was able to help her through the process, and in the end, Williams said she was glad she made the two-hour trip from Magnolia.
"I go to college at Southern Arkansas University," Williams said. "I had to make a trip, like a spontaneous trip down here just to vote. I wanted to make sure that I could vote because it's new and important to me. The early voting was just the only option I had to vote."
The lines were longer up front, where workers were checking IDs.
North Little Rock resident Joseph Beard said it wasn't too bad, and as someone who has appointments on Election Day, he was also grateful for the opportunity.
“It was great,” Beard said. “The line was not bad, and we got to vote quickly. It’s really a surprise how fast it was.”
The overwhelming message of the day, which Liddil expressed so well, is that it’s important to let your voice be heard.
“If you don't participate, you can't complain about what's going down,” Liddil said. “Both in your nation and your community, you’ve got to be part of the process.”
Early voting continues in Arkansas through Nov. 4.
Click here for a list of early voting locations throughout central Arkansas.