MONTICELLO — Voter turnout Tuesday for the presidentialelection should be high if absentee voting here is anyindication.

The deadline to vote by absentee ballot was noon Saturday.

“Turnout was really good here,” said Circuit Clerk CindyStokes.

Stokes said last year’s county elections drew between 400-450votes from the primaries on through to the election. Her total ofabsentee votes for the Nov. 7 election at the deadline was 450.

“More than 100 people came in and voted since noon Friday,”Stokes said Saturday afternoon.

She said a major local election remains on the ballot, that ofJustice Court Judge Post 2, but that does not seem to be spurringthe high number of absentee voters.

“I haven’t heard them say much about the local race,” Stokessaid. “Everyone who comes in speaks of the presidential race. Thejudicial race is very quiet.”

Nine candidates are vying for the vacant justice court judgeoffice, including the attorney appointed to finish out the term ofJudge Maxie Carey Rutland, who died in December before beginninganother term of office in January.

The candidates include James H. Ard, Curtis “Curt” Brister,James “Sandy” Brister, Verla Davis Dillon, James E. “Jamie” GivensJr., Gregory L. May, Donald Glen “Donnie” Mullins, Homer Sutton andAlbert Turnage.

Stokes said that instead of the judicial race, she has heardvoters discussing their opinions on gun control, abortion laws, thedeath penalty and how changes are needed in Washington and whichpresidential candidate would best support those views.

In related news, Stokes said Beat 3 Supervisor Calvin Rutlandhas placed a civil defense trailer on the site of the TopekaVolunteer Fire Department to serve as a temporary voting precinctuntil the department can be rebuilt. The fire department wasdestroyed in late summer by an electrical fire.

Stokes also said that each voting precinct will be in directcommunication with the courthouse this year thanks to CellularSouth. The company has loaned the county the use of 10 cellularphones on election day to ensure Stokes can keep in touch with theprecincts. Ten precincts do not have telephones permanentlyinstalled.