Advance voting for upcoming city and school board elections is slow, according to the Douglas County Clerk’s office.

A total of 855 advance ballots had been mailed to voters by Friday, but only 169 had been returned, Deputy Clerk Keith Campbell said.

And only 77 people had voted in-person at the courthouse since voting started March 18. The deadline for advance voting is noon April 6, the day before the election.

In contrast, during last year’s presidential election, there were some instances when 80 people an hour were advance voting in person, Campbell said.

“It doesn’t seem like there is a lot of interest in this one,” Campbell said. “That’s unfortunate because this (election) has the greatest impact on people, but it doesn’t have the appeal that a presidential does,” Campbell said.

You can still get an advance voting application from the clerk’s office or online at douglascountyelections .com, but it must be completed before 5 p.m. Friday.

Election officials advise getting that application in sooner to avoid risking delays and receiving a ballot too late to be of use.

Ballots must be completed and returned by mail or hand-delivered to the clerk before 7 p.m. on Election Day.

This week, advance voting hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the courthouse, 1100 Mass.

On Saturday, advance voting will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the courthouse, city halls in Lecompton and Eudora, and the Baldwin City Library.