Election officials expect high turnout as early voting begins

Early voting starts today for a presidential election that Northwest Arkansas officials expect will bring exceptionally high voter turnout.

More than a dozen polling places are open across Benton and Washington counties for most of the next two weeks. With more than 270,000 registered voters between the two counties, officials said they hoped many will choose to vote early and make casting and counting the ballots on Nov. 8 go that much smoother.

"We really want people to early vote and avoid long lines on Election Day," said Jennifer Price, Washington County election commission director. She predicted around 80 percent of voters will cast their ballots, compared to about 66 percent in 2012's election. Perhaps half of them will vote early, Price said.

In anticipation of the rush, election officials said they've been managing voter registrations and absentee ballot requests, preparing poll workers and readying voting equipment. Benton County Clerk Tena O'Brien said her staff is prepared for a record turnout.

"Everything got packed up and will be delivered as of Friday so they're ready for Monday morning," Benton County election coordinator Kim Dennison said Wednesday. "Seeing as I've taken about 15 phone calls today from people asking me when early voting starts, I'm expecting a big turnout."

Registered voters can cast their votes for president, state and local officials and several ballot questions at any early voting location in their county.

University of Arkansas students pushed this year for an early voting location on campus without success, but freshman Skyye Robinson said that wouldn't stop her from heading to the polls early. Though the Washington County courthouse is the closest spot to campus, she planned on going to the Boys & Girls Club off of Wedington Drive.

"Just to get it out of the way," she said with a laugh.

Mark Deaton, an insurance claims manager in Fayetteville, said early voting is "definitely the way to go," pointing to slow lines at his regular polling place.

"We always go to the courthouse," he said. "They get you in and out."

Most voters won't need photo identification, but poll workers will still ask for it to make confirming addresses and other information easier. Still, first-time registered voters who are flagged in the system because of voter registration issues such as a missing Social Security number in their file must provide identification, Washington County clerk Becky Lewallen said in an email.

Dennison urged voters to check their voter registration information with the clerk's office or at www.voterview.org to make sure everything is current before they go to the polls. If a voter has moved within the state or otherwise changed their information, they'll have to wait while election workers update it at the polling place.

Donald J. Trump, the Republican nominee for president running against Democrat Hillary Clinton, has raised alarms across the political spectrum in recent days by claiming widespread voter fraud throughout the country could make the election results illegitimate.

Researchers have found fraud to be extremely rare. Loyola law school professor Justin Levitt, who studies election administration, two years ago counted 31 credible claims of voter fraud out of more than 1 billion ballots cast since 2000.

Robinson said she wasn't worried about the issue and would be voting even if it were true. Deaton jokingly said he doesn't think Russia "has their finger in it," alluding to concerns from federal intelligence agencies Russian hackers have tried to manipulate the election in some ways.

"I think we're safe," Deaton said.

Scarlet Sims and Tom Sissom contributed to this story.

NW News on 10/24/2016