So far, 77.7% of Essex County’s 24,687 active registered voters cast ballots, and in Franklin County, 71.2% of 26,794 active registered voters cast ballots, as of deadline on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Between in-person voting on Election Day, votes cast during the nine-day early voting period and absentee ballots received by Tuesday afternoon, 19,201 Essex County residents cast ballots this year, according to uncertified election results from the state Board of Elections. That’s an increase in voter turnout of more than 9%.

In Franklin County, 19,087 residents cast ballots, an increase of about 11% over the 2016 presidential election year. That, again, is counting Election Day votes, early votes and absentee votes received by Tuesday evening.

A total of 4,758 absentee ballots were requested by Essex County voters, and as of Tuesday afternoon, 3,886 had been returned. A total of 4,400 Franklin County voters requested absentee ballots, and 3,597 were returned as of Tuesday evening. Absentee ballots only needed to be postmarked by today, not received today, so the total number of votes may rise when the election is certified.

Election officials have said they will not start counting absentee ballots until Nov. 12. The deadline for the board of election to receive these ballots is Nov. 10, but since the 11th is Veterans Day, they will not begin until the 12th.

Military and federal absentee ballots will be collected until Nov. 16.