Most Clayton County election poll managers agree that voters having made their election choices known through early, absentee and advanced voting has helped diminish the numbers going to the polls today.

That impression was substantiated when Clayton County Elections and Registration Director Annie Bright said, through advanced and early voting, 7,384 ballots had been cast before the polls opened today.

In addition, she also revealed that 789 absentee ballots had been cast, meaning that a total of 8,173 ballots had been cast before the pools opened at 7 a.m.

According to Billy Williams, poll manager at the Morrow 9 precinct at Mt. Zion Primary School in Jonesboro, many Clayton voters had taken the opportunity to vote early and avoid standing in line on election day.

“Because of those who took the option to vote through early, absentee or advanced voting, we haven’t had much of a waiting line as things have been slow but steady here” he said.

“Voters are voting and then getting back to their daily plans in short order,” Williams added.

Cynthia Mears, poll manager at the Morrow City Hall polling precinct, agreed, saying early and absentee voting had shortened the lines on election day.

“Our location here at Morrow City Hall was also an advanced voting precinct so things have been somewhat slower than usual but it has been a steady turnout,” she said.

As to how voting had been thus far today, Bright said it was about as usual for an election day with no significant problems having been reported.

With the expected lunch time group having voted by 1 p.m., Clayton’s precinct workers were expecting another voter increase from 5 to 7 p.m. for those who decided to vote on their way home from work.