By ERIN MATHEWS

Salina Journal

Saline County Clerk Don Merriman is expecting a record-setting voter turnout in Saline County, and similar predictions are being made for the state and the nation as voters choose between John McCain and Barack Obama on Nov. 4.

"I'm predicting there are going to be some lines out there," Merriman said. "We're trying to make the provisions we can to make things go smoothly, but I do expect some lines, especially early in the day and in the evening."

Locally, a special question regarding a 0.4 percent sales tax, a portion of which would fund construction of a new aquatic park, is expected to draw voters to the polls. The estimated $12.5 million facility is proposed for Kenwood Park.

Brad Bryant, election director for the Kansas Secretary of State's Office, said in an e-mail to the Journal that Kansas' current record for number of voters was set in 2004, when about 1.2 million people went to the polls. The previous high was just over 1 million in 1992.

Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh will not officially predict voter turnout for this year until the week before the election, Bryant said.

"Many states are expecting to break turnout records this year, mostly due to the presidential election," Bryant wrote. "We expect the same in Kansas, although if margins between candidates widen it could result in less turnout that originally expected."

Merriman said a steady stream of new voters has been coming to the Saline County Clerk's office daily to register to vote. Voters can register until 9 p.m. Oct. 20. First-time voters, meaning anyone unregistered or who recently moved to Saline County or turned 18 since the last election, should bring a driver's license or some other form of photo identification. However, Merriman said a bank statement or utility bill printed with the voter's name and address or pay stub also can be used.

Advance voting will start Wednesday and run through noon Nov. 3. Advance voting is a two-step process, Merriman said. Those interested in voting early can print out an advance ballot application from the elections page at www.saline.org. Then they will need to mail the signed application to receive a ballot by mail. Merriman said the office will start mailing the advance ballots on Wednesday.

"We do have a number of them going to college campuses all over the United States," he said.

If they don't want to mail it in, advance voters can choose to vote in person at the Saline County Clerk's office on the first floor of the City-County building. Merriman said the office will be open until 9 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Oct. 20 to accommodate advance voters and people still needing to register.

Voting machines will be available in the clerk's office for advance voters to use, or people also will have the option of paper ballots if that is their preference, Merriman said. Most people prefer the machine, he said.

Machines are simple to use and don't allow a voter to select more than one candidate for the same position.

Two voting precincts have changed their voting locations this year. Precinct 10, which used to vote at the Salina Christian Academy, now will vote at University United Methodist Church, 1509 S. Santa Fe. Precinct 19, which formerly voted at the Salina Country Club, will now vote at the Salina School District office, 1511 Gypsum.

n Reporter Erin Mathews can be reached at 822-1415 or by e-mail at emathews@salina.com.

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