Mississippi takes final steps before election

STATE ABOUT THAT.HE JOINS US LIVE THISEVENING.THE SECRETARY OF STATEUPDATING THE LATESTNUMBERS AND THE ABSENTEEBALLOT REQUESTS CONTINUETO SET NEW STATE RECORDS..ALMOST 190-THOUSANDSTATEWIDE.A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCEFROM FOUR YEARS AGO...WHENTHERE WERE 110-THOUSANDABSENTEE BALLOT REQUESTS.MICHAEL WATSON SAYS THEEARLY INDICATORS ARE FOR ABIG VOTER TURNOUT.ONE WHERE SOCIALDISTANCING AND PANDEMICPROTOCOLS IN PLACE ATPOLLING LOCATIONS...ARELIKELY TO CAUSE LONG LINESAND SOME FRUSTRATION.HE SAYS VOTERS WILL NEEDTO BE PATIENT BUT VOTERSWILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO WEARA MASK TO CAST A BALLOT.<MICHAEL WATSON/SECRETARYOF STATE: YOU CAN NOT FORCEANYONE TO WEAR A MASK TO VOTEYOU CAN NOT DENY THEM THATRIGHT TO VOTE JUST BECAUSETHEY DON'T HAVE A MASK ON.

WEHAVE SPOKE TO OUR CLERKS ANDWE HAVE SAID THIS IS HOW WEWANT TO PLAY BY THE RULES ONELECTION DAY.<MICHAEL WATSON/SECRETARYOF STATE: 190 THOUSAND NOWAND WE EXPECT THAT NUMBER TOCONTINUE TO CREEP UPTHROUGH SATURDAY AND WEKNOW IT IS GOING TO BE A BIGNUMBER.

I AM EXCITED ABOUTTHAT I THINK I TIS IMPORTANTTHAT MISSISSIPPIANS ARETURNING OUT2:23 WHAT ISDRIVING THAT NUMBER IS ITCOVID IS IT THE EXCITEMENTIN THE ELECITON REALMMISSIS.SIPPIANS WANT TOHAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD.THE ABSENTEE COUNTDOWNIS TICKING THE LAST DAY FORIN- PERSON ABSENTEE VOTINGIS THIS SATURDAY.CLERKS OF COURTOFFICES WILL BE OPEN FROM 8TO 5 THIS SATURDAY.ON ELECTION DAY, THEREWILL BE PROVISIONS FORCURBSIDE AS WELL AS EXTRASTEPS TAKING TO KEEPPOLLING PLACES SAFE.MORE ON THAT AT