Adams County election officials say they don’t expect a large turnout for today’s vote on the design of the state flag.

&uot;Historically, in all special elections your voter turnout is low,&uot; said Election Commission Chairman Larry Gardner. Those that do churn up interest usually involve multiple or local candidates, he said.

Deputy Circuit Clerk Marge Alexander said about 500 absentee ballots had been received as of Monday morning, compared to 1,400 in the November presidential election.

She said absentee ballots typically make up between 10 and 20 percent of the total number of ballots. Monday at 5 p.m. was the deadline for absentee ballots to be received by mail.

Saturday was the final day of &uot;in office&uot; absentee voting, a fact Alexander said many people overlooked.

&uot;We’ve been swamped with people wanting to come in and vote absentee this morning,&uot; she said Monday.

But, federal law is strict when it comes to voting deadlines, as Alexander said she told several disappointed voters.

Voters will have two choices tomorrow: the 1894 flag with the Confederate emblem of 13 white stars on a blue X over a red field; or a banner that replaces the Confederate symbol with 20 white stars on a blue square, representing Mississippi as the 20th state. Ballots will list the 1894 flag as Proposition A and the new design as Proposition B.

&uot;The state has bent over backwards to try to cover all the bases with this election, so there won’t be any problems,&uot; Alexander said.

But Gardner said he does not understand the special effort, and the price that goes along with it, when Mississippi did not have polling problems during the November election.

&uot;This is not Florida,&uot; he said. &uot;We have not had that kind of issue in Mississippi.&uot;

So what will be done with all those ballots sure to be left over once polls close tonight? Barrett said Adams County contracts with Magnolia Industries in Natchez to have them destroyed, a task that must be performed within one year of election day.

Both Gardner and Circuit Clerk M.L. &uot;Binkey&uot; Vines said the recent debate over whether felons convicted of disenfranchising crimes were left on Adams County voter rolls will have to be resolved after today’s election.

Gardner said state election law prohibits changes to the voter rolls within 30 days of an election.

&uot;The voter rolls are as they stood 30 days ago,&uot; he said. That means anyone who registered, changed their address or died within the last month will still be on the voter rolls, he said.

Vines said he believes the circuit clerk’s office and the election commissioners will now work together to rectify the voter rolls and &uot;produce a better and clearer election.&uot;

Alexander agreed. &uot;We need to all stay on the same page and comply with all the state and federal laws.&uot;

Polls will remain open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.