High volumes of interest in the 2008 presidential election brought out excitement in voters on the first day of early voting Monday.
Many students have already taken advantage of early voting in hopes of bypassing the crowds on Nov. 4.
"I don't want to wait in the long lines and have to deal with the hassles of Election Day, so I voted early," said Alex Spratt, a UF freshman.
Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Pam Carpenter said she was pleased with the first day's turnout. By Monday afternoon, about 500 of the county's 154,000 registered voters had come to the downtown voting station where she was stationed.
Some arrived bright and early. Members of Students for Barack Obama camped out Sunday at the group's downtown office to be the first ones in line to vote.
"Students need to vote, and the best way to have your voice heard is to vote early," said Garrett Garner, the group's treasurer.
They weren't the only ones to arrive right on time.
"Polls opened at 9 a.m.," Garner said. "There was already a line outside by 9:15 a.m."
Joshua Simmons, the chairman of Gators for McCain, said he didn't think it was necessary to be first in line.
"A vote is a vote," Simmons said. "I don't think it is particularly important to vote early. We encourage people to vote when they can and use absentee ballots when necessary."
Any registered voter may vote early, on time or by absentee ballot. Although a state law requiring addresses to match on a voter's driver's license and voting records has raised some concerns that votes will not be counted, Carpenter said not to worry.
"You will be able to vote," she said.
If the addresses do not match, voters will be allowed to cast a provisional, or temporary, ballot and will have until two days after the election to clear up the issue.
Early voting will continue through Nov. 1. Voters registered in Alachua County can vote at the Supervisor of Elections Office in the County Administration Building downtown, the Millhopper Branch Library on Northwest 43rd Street or the Tower Road Branch Library on Southwest 75th Street.
