Over 3,000 take advantage of early voting in the county

"This election has a lot of people excited and that's great. People need to just get out and vote," Winstead said.

A hotly contested presidential race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain will help fuel the rush to the polls, she said.

Also on the ballot is contested race of Indiana governor, U.S. Congress, Indiana State Representative, two commissioners seats, three at-large seats on the county council as well as races for Superior Court Judge, county treasurer and surveyor. Eastern Greene School District will also be selecting four board members.

Voting will be carried out from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Winstead is predicting a heavy turnout.

The last presidential election in November 2004 saw 67.68 percent turnout when 13,601 of 20,095 registered voters cast a ballot.

In the 2006 General Election during a non-presidential year, 61 percent of the registered Greene County voters (10,925) went to the polls or voted absentee.

In the May 2008 Primary Election, a 51.89 percent turnout was recorded with 9,883 of the registered 19,047 voters casting a ballot. That figure included 1,277 absentee ballots.

Up-to-date live voting results from the clerk's office will be available online at www.co.greene.in.us/election. The tallies will be updated as soon as results start coming in after the polls close at 6 p.m., she said.

Winstead said pre-election meetings were staged at the Greene County Fairgrounds with representatives from the county's 32 voting precincts on Friday night and Saturday morning to go over election day procedures and give them another primer on the operation of the electronic voting machines.

"It went very well," she said.

Winstead said local voters have answered the call in large numbers to vote early.

Pre-election voting ended at noon Monday with 2,013 voting at either the clerk's office or two off-site voting locations

She said 1,767 voted at the clerk's office and 346 voted at the off-site locations -- 275 at Linton Oct. 18 and 71 at Center Township Fire Department on Oct. 11.

On Friday alone, 299 ballots were cast at the voter registration office.

Absentee ballots will be accepted through this morning's mailing. As of Monday morning, 1,133 absentee ballots had been received -- meaning at least 3,146 ballots have been cast early.

In Winstead's view the real advantage of the early ballots is that's 3,000 people who won't be going through the polls on election day.

She expects longer lines in all of the Stockton Township precincts along with the two precincts in Center Township.

"I think it will be the heaviest there," she said.

Winstead said anyone wanting to avoid long lines should veer away from the early morning hours, at lunch and after work hours.

The county is also prepared in the event of power outage or other emergency to make sure the election process goes smoothly and securely.

The clerk said the Election Board met last week with representatives from the Indiana State Police, Greene County Sheriff's Department, Greene County Emergency Management Agency and personnel from local electric power companies to firm up contingency plans.

"We had a good meeting and we've got a check-off list for them. We have a bag with a flashlight and batteries (for each precinct). If they have to have a hand-held radio we have one. We have a list for each what to do if there is an emergency," she said.

The clerk said the voter registration figures are high at 19,192 for this election, but still less than the 20,095 who were registered in the last presidential year election in November 2004.

The figure is 1,332 higher than the 17,860 residents who were registered to vote in the last General Election in November 2006.

The clerk said there have been no changes in voting locations for the General Election.

She reminded voters that they can check their voting status and find their polling location very easily online by going to the Web site www.indianavoters.com.

Also, anyone with questions about where to vote can check with the Voter Registration Office by calling 384-8532.

Greene County Voting Locations By Precinct

BEECH CREEK 1 -- Liberty Church of Christ, County Road 1290E, Hendricksville

BEECH CREEK 2 -- Eastern Fire Station, State Road 43, Solsberry

CASS -- Nazarene Church, Broad Street, Newberry

CENTER 1 -- Eastern Greene School, State Road 54E

CENTER 2 -- Center Township Fire Station, SR 45N, Little Cincinnati

FAIRPLAY -- 4-H Fairgrounds, State Road 54W, Switz City

GRANT -- Switz City Fire Station, Charlotte and Second streets, Switz City

HIGHLAND -- Highland Township Fire Station, County Road 685N, Calvertville

JACKSON -- Jackson Township Fire Station, Main Street, Owensburg.

JEFFERSON 1 -- Worthington Municipal Building, 20 South Commercial Street (State Road 67), Worthington

JEFFERSON 2 -- Worthington Municipal Building, 20 South Commercial Street (State Road 67), Worthington

RICHLAND 1 -- Bloomfield Housing Authority Hi-Rise Building, 100 W. Main Street, Bloomfield

RICHLAND 2 -- Bloomfield Housing Authority Hi-Rise Building, 100 W. Main Street, Bloomfield

RICHLAND 3 -- Bloomfield Fire Department, 75 Mill Street, Bloomfield

RICHLAND 4 -- Richland-Taylor Fire Department, Furnace Mill Road, Bloomfield

SMITH -- Providence Baptist Church, Route 1, Jasonville

STAFFORD -- White River Valley/Lyons Elementary School, State Road 67 South, Lyons

STOCKTON 1 -- National Guard Armory, State Road 54E, Linton.

STOCKTON 2 -- Roy Clark Community Building, Humphreys Park, Linton

STOCKTON 3 -- Fellowship Baptist Church, 15th Street at Price Road, Linton.

STOCKTON 4 -- Roy Clark Community Building, Humphreys Park, Linton

STOCKTON 5 -- East shelterhouse, Humphreys Park, Linton

STOCKTON 6 -- East shelterhouse, Humphreys Park, Linton

STOCKTON 7 -- Roy Clark Community Building, Humphreys Park, Linton

TAYLOR -- Richland-Taylor Fire Station, Main Street, Scotland

WASHINGTON 1 -- Lyons Community Building, 600 W. Broad Street, Lyons

WASHINGTON 2 -- Lyons Community Building, 600 W. Broad Street, Lyons

WRIGHT 1 -- Assembly of God Church, 339 W. Main Street, Jasonville

WRIGHT 2 -- Jasonville Fire Station, 145 S. Lawton Street, Jasonville

WRIGHT 3 -- Jasonville Christian Church, 315 S. Lawton Street, Jasonville

WRIGHT 4 -- Wright Township Fire Department, State Road 59, Midland

WRIGHT 5 -- Wright Township Fire Department, State Road 59, Midland