Brannon: ‘Unprecedented turnout’

Kootenai County Commissioner Marc Eberlein compares test ballot results provided by the state to results from the Kootenai County Elections Office’s ballot tabulators on Monday at the Elections Office. (Jake Parrish/Coeur d’Alene Press photo)

This election season has been unlike any other in Kootenai County history.

The grand finale comes today.

Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the general election.

County Clerk Jim Brannon said a record of more than 20,000 residents — 28 percent of the total number of local voters — cast their votes during the early voting period or with absentee ballots.

“Unprecedented turnout,” he said Monday.

Still, a slowdown today at the polls isn’t expected.

“There will be lines,” he said.

Brannon said he made the decision to open the polls an hour earlier than previous elections to ease those lines a little.

He said that due to the heavy voter turnout expected, final local results aren’t expected to be available until Wednesday morning/Brian Walker, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.