Massive turnout expected at polls

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — No one yet knows who will be the next U.S. president, but one thing is certain — area polling places will be jammed as thousands of men and women are expected to go to the polls to be a part of that decision.

A total of 605 men and women jammed the county’s main polling site Saturday in an effort to avoid the rush, but election officials are expecting to see record crowds come to the polls today with the late afternoon and early evening hours expected to see the brunt of the activity.

The polls throughout the county will be open until 7 p.m. today, and if you are one of the 37,837 registered voters in the county, you have until 6:59:59 to be inside your voting precinct. If you haven’t voted by 7 p.m. but are inside the polling place, you will be allowed to vote.

And if there is some question about your eligibility, you will be given a provisional ballot and a decision will be made within the next few days as to whether your vote will count.
A total of 5,609 people went to the county courthouse to vote early. The numbers at Thoreau were 505 and another 810 did their early voting in Zuni. That’s a grand total of 6,924, a county record.

County election officials will be posting the vote totals at the county courthouse tonight with the first votes expected to come in about 7:30 p.m. or so. If this election is like the others, all but two or three of the most remote precincts should have reported in by 11 p.m.

People interested in the outcomes, county-wise, can also go to the county Web site — www.co.mckinley.nm.us — and hit the election link. County elections officials expect it to be updated throughout the night.

Navajo chapter elections are being held at the same time.

In many cases, Navajos who want to vote in both elections will be able to do so at their chapter house; in others, the tribal elections will be held in the chapters while the presidential races will be held at a local school or community center.

Tribal election officials said vote totals for the tribal elections will be available at the sports center at the Window Rock fairgrounds as it has been for the past three decades.