While people await the results of the presidential race, local election officials in Massachusetts are living another version of "hurry up and wait."
After the election, city and town clerks have to label and store all of the ballots and other election-related paperwork. This year mail-in ballots means there's even more to handle.
"Even outer mailing envelopes, the inner envelopes that are signed by the voter, all that is stored for 22 months," Pittsfield City Clerk Michelle Benjamin said.
So far, nearly 22,000 people cast a ballot in Pittsfield.
The city clerk's office has opened envelopes for all the ballots received by mail, but there will be more. Mail-in ballots can arrive as late as Friday at 5 p.m., as long as they were postmarked by Election Day, November 3.
For now, Benjamin said it's quiet inside her office and out.
"It's surreal. It's quiet, but we're busy, doing busy work, cleaning up, but just in general, it's quiet throughout the city -- which I'm thankful for," she said.
After Benjamin's team finishes the mail-in ballots, they'll be waiting for those cast by the military, their families and citizens living overseas. Those must be received by November 13.
The final, total election results need to be certified by November 18.
