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Another day, another record |
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Tuesday, 28 October 2008 |
Another day, another record.
For the third time in this early voting period, Saline County set a record for single-day turnout Monday when 1,462 residents cast ballots for next week’s general election.
That breaks the record of 1,415 set Friday. Prior to Friday, the record was set Oct. 20, the opening day of early voting, when 1,351 Saline Countians voted.
Through Monday, 8,869 people have voted in Saline County. That represents an 81 percent increase in early voter turnout over the same period in 2004, the last presidential election year, election officials said.
Saline County is ahead of the pace statewide in early voting. About 14 percent of the county’s 63,355 registered voters have cast ballots.
By coontrast, Secretary of State Charlie Daniels of Bryant reported Monday that 10 percent of Arkansas’ 1.68 million registered voters, or 148,266 people, had cast ballots in the first week of early voting.
Daniels has predicted 65 percent to 70 percent turnout for the general election. County Clerk Freddy Burton has predicted turnout of 70 percent or higher locally.
Early voting continues through Monday at the Voting Center on Main Street in Downtown Benton. Hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. next Monday, Nov. 3.
Voting will move to polling sites throughout the county for the Nov. 4 general election.
The slowest day of early voting in the county occurred Saturday when 798 residents cast ballots.
An average of 1,267 county residents are voting daily during early voting. That puts the county on pace for about 16,500 people to vote early, but Burton said this morning that he expects the total to be closer to 18,000.
The county’s record for early voter turnout was set in 2004 when more than 11,800 county residents voted.
So far, the county has received 1,102 absentee ballots, officials said.
Today is the final day to request an absentee ballot by mail or fax, according to the county clerk’s office. After today, absentee ballots will be available only by going to the clerk’s office.
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Razorbacks
