Election 08: Presidential Election already happened!

After a marathon race, the 2008 US Presidential Election is finally here. Voters go to the polls Tuesday morning to elect the 44th President of the United States.

Georgians heading to the polls Tuesday can expect a crush of voters despite millions of ballots already cast through last week.

The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Sunny skies are predicted.

Media reports indicate a record turn out is expected this year off the back of a surge in new voter registrations, and early voting has been delivering some major numbers. Delays are expected at polling places, so timing will be everything to minimize time taken to vote.

Elections officials predict an additional 3.2 million Georgians could cast votes Tuesday — an Election Day record. Roughly 2 million Georgians had cast absentee ballots by mail or by heading to early voting polls last week, alleviating some of Tuesday’s expected onslaught.

But voting in some of metro Atlanta’s more populous precincts could prove problematic on Election Day. Too few voting machines and questions about voter identification could slow the process.

Worries abounded during last week’s early voting when long lines, some taking six hours to navigate, frustrated voters and elections officials alike. Still, nearly 35 percent of registered voters had cast ballots by the end of early voting late last Friday.

Election officials in many Georgia counties predict that 90 percent of all registered voters will ultimately vote. If so, expect delays at the polls.

Voting in the late morning or mid-afternoon, polling officials suggest, may help avoid the lengthiest waits. And be sure to bring a government-issued ID card, with photograph, such as a driver’s license, military ID or passport.