It’s almost time to vote.

Lincoln County’s 32 precincts will open Tuesday at 7 a.m. andoperate for 12 hours, closing at 7 p.m.

Given the hype surrounding what has been called one of the mostimportant presidential elections in American history, officials areexpecting a record number of the county’s approximately 27,000registered voters to turn out Tuesday and mark their ballots.

Almost 2,000 of those voters had cast an absentee ballot bySaturday’s noon deadline. Thousands more are expected to show upTuesday in what election officials are predicting to be one of thebiggest voter turnouts in history.

And with so many voters heading to the polls in one day, LincolnCounty Circuit Clerk Terry Lynn Watkins said some confusion – and afew problems – will undoubtedly arise.

“The most calls we get on Election Day are from people trying tovote at the wrong precinct,” she said. “If you’re not sure where tovote, call us throughout Tuesday and we will tell you your correctprecinct.”

It’s important for voters to vote in the correct precinct,Watkins said, because voters who insist on voting in the wrongpolling place will have to do so via affidavit ballot. If it turnsout that voter purposefully voted in the wrong precinct, theirballot doesn’t count.

Voters who move to new addresses in the county and forget tonotify the circuit clerk’s office most commonly cause themisconception. Watkins said such voters should go to their oldprecinct Tuesday, where they will still be listed on the poll bookand eligible to vote.

Her office cannot change polling places for voters within 30days of the election. Changes can be made after the election.

Watkins advised all voters to confirm their polling places andregistration with her office before Tuesday.

It is also important to remember that first time registrantswill be asked to provide identification in the form of a photo ID,a copy of a bill, bank statement or paycheck that shows the voter’sname and address.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice for Tuesday’s votersis to know all the races and the candidates running in them.Lincoln County voters will be able to choose from the followingoffices and candidates Tuesday:

* President – Barack Obama, D-Illinois; John McCain, R-Arizona;and several minor party candidates

* U.S. Senator (special election) – Roger Wicker, RonnieMusgrove

* U.S. Senator – Thad Cochran, R-Jackson, Erik Fleming,D-Clinton

* U.S. Representative – Joel Gill, D-Pickens, Gregg Harper,R-Pearl

* Mississippi Supreme Court District 2 – Oliver Diaz, Randy”Bubba” Pierce

* Lincoln County Election Commission District 3 – Bennon Case,Gloria Brown

* Lincoln County Election Commission District 4 – Charles Smith,Janie Sisco

* Lincoln County School Board Educational District 3 – EdwardDillon, Ricky Welch

* Lincoln County School Board Educational District 4 – DarronWallce, Jack Case, Denise Roberts White.

And when voters show up at the precincts, they must leave theirObama or McCain T-shirts at home. Political clothing is prohibitedat polling places.

“This is the main one we have trouble with,” Watkins said.

The rule comes from a state law prohibiting campaign literaturefrom being distributing within 150 feet of a polling place.

The Office of the Secretary of State considers politicalclothing as campaign literature. Voters wearing their candidate’scampaign clothing will have to go home, change clothes and returnin neutral attire.

And when they do, they have to get back to their precinct and bein line by 7 p.m. If there’s a line of voters still waiting at aprecint at 7 p.m., poll workers will take the name and informationof the last voter in line and equip them with a sign that reads, “Iwas in line at 7 p.m.”

Anyone lined up behind the sign-holder will be turned away fromthe polls.

Of course, long lines at the polling places aren’t limited to 7p.m. Watkins said another rule all voters should follow Tuesday isthe Golden Rule.

“Be patient – the polls workers have a long day,” she said.”Most of them get to the precincts at 6 a.m. to set everything up.Be considerate – if your name is not on the poll book, if there’s aproblem just call us and we’ll do everything we can to straightenit out.”

Once voters get through the line – if there is one – and step upto the voting machine, they can vote for whomever they please.Watkins said one of the most common misunderstandings about generalelections is that – unlike the primaries – voters do not have tovote on party-specific ballots.

“People get so confused about that – you can vote for anyone youwant during the general election,” she said. “You don’t have tovote along party lines in the general election unless that’s whatyou want to do.”

During the primary elections in March, voters had to choseeither a Democratic or Republican ballot. The primary is designedthat way in order to narrow down the many candidates often runningfor the same position in the same party.

On Tuesday, voters can vote for anyone – but not everyone. Whileit will not be an issue with the electronic voting machines,Watkins said the quickest way to get an absentee ballot thrown outis to vote for multiple candidates in the same race.

“If you mark everyone running for president, there’s no way totell your intent,” she said. “That ballot is out.”

While two big, bold marks for different candidates in the samerace will result in an absentee ballot’s rejection, slighter marksare examined closely by a resolution board.

Watkins said the election commissioner-appointed, three-memberresolution board examines absentee ballots that are rejected by thevoting machines for multiple marks. The board examines only theclarity of the pen marks in order to determine a voter’s intent,and all three board members must reach a consensus before awardingthe vote to one candidate or another.

“In my experience, the ballots kicked out of the machine are theones where someone has marked every name on the ballot orintentionally messed it up,” Watkins said. “Ninety-nine percent ofthe ballots go through the scanner, and we may not have even onethat gets kicked back out. Since we’ve gone to the machines, theresolution board is really a moot point. They only look at aboutfive ballots throughout the night, if that many.”

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