Adams County residents will cast their votes for president today in what is expected to be a tight race.

Adams County Circuit Clerk M.L. &uot;Binkey&uot; Vines thinks indicators point to an above average voter turnout among local residents.

&uot;(There has been a) lot of interest in the presidential race,&uot; Vines said.

Slightly more than 23,000 people are registered to vote in Adams County and 53 percent of registered voters cast votes in the 1999 general election.

But this year voter interest seems higher than normal.

The circuit clerk’s office has received close to 1,000 absentee ballots which is more than double than usual Vines said.

Election staff spent Monday preparing to meet with poll workers and certifying absentee ballots. Office staff had to certify that all absentee voters cast ballots in their eligible precincts, Vines said.

Most Adams County voters will only vote in contested state and federal elections today with District 2 being the only exception.

District 2 residents will select a new election commissioner to represent their district in maintaining the voter rolls.

Democrat James Eddie Freeman and Republican Larry E. Gardner are running for the position.

They are seeking a position left vacant by Jeanne Sanguinetti, who opted not to run for reelection.

Candidates for the four other election commission positions are running unopposed.

They are District 1, Catherine J. Meng; District 3, Evelyn H. Smith; District 4, Katye Mae Dukes; and District 5, Bob Barrett.

Smith is the only one of the four candidates who is not an incumbent.

Adams County voters will also cast ballots today for a U.S. senator, a U.S. representative and a supreme court judge.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Adams County today.