The absentee voting period for the general election Nov. 2 opensMonday, and officials are mixed in their expectations of theturnout.

Lincoln County Circuit Clerk Terry Lynn Watkins said she expectsmore than the usual voter turnout for the election itself becauseof the presidential election, but doubts there will be muchincrease in early absentee voting.

“We haven’t really had a lot of people express interest yet,”she said. “When we get down to a month before the election is whenthey start requesting them.”

Lawrence County Circuit Clerk Cindy Stokes, however, has saidthis year may become an historic year for absentee voting in thecounty.

“I anticipate there will be a large number of absentee voters,”she said. “We have already received numerous requests for absenteeballots because of our (Army National Guard) unit being gone. Wehave already received about 130-135 requests, mostly for members ofthe Guard who have been activated and other militarypersonnel.”

The 106th Support Group, headquartered in Monticello, left forpost-mobilization exercises in Camp Shelby last month. The localcomponent of the group is comprised of 79 soldiers, but is onlypart of a major mobilization of more than 3,500 soldiers.

The larger mobilization includes the Brookhaven unit, Detachment2 of the 155th Infantry Battalion, and other units from SouthwestMississippi.

In addition, Stokes said, her office is receiving many requestsfrom active duty military personnel stationed throughout the UnitedStates or overseas.

“We have had way more military requests this year than everbefore,” she said.

The deadline to vote absentee is Oct. 30, the Saturday prior tothe Nov. 2 election.

Watkins and Stokes said their offices will be open the last twoSaturdays of the absentee voting period, Oct. 23 and Oct. 30, butwill work different hours. The Lincoln County office will be openfrom 8 a.m. to noon while the Lawrence County office will be openfrom 9 a.m. to noon both days.

Stokes said the Lawrence County office will also be open from 9a.m. to noon on Oct. 2, which is the deadline to register to votefor the general election.

Voters may still register after Oct. 2, but will not be able tovote in the general election, she said.

Watkins said the Lincoln County office will not be open Oct. 2,and urged anyone registering to vote to visit her office by 5 p.m.Friday.

“We won’t be open that Saturday. It’s not required,” she said.”We tried that for many years and no one would ever show, so wereceived permission to discontinue that service.”