NATCHEZ — Polling precincts are seeing good turnout today as voters cast their ballots to select the next president.

The local Democratic Party has sent poll watchers to each precinct and has conducted a 1 p.m. tally.

As of 1 p.m., the Oakland precinct has seen 1,131 out of its 1,597 registered voters, Carpenter precinct has had 467 out of 785, Washington precinct has had 531 out of 770 and the Bypass Fire precinct has had 818 voters come through out of 1,413.

Democratic party member Frances Thompson-Bailey said she expects more to come through as rush hour moves closer.

“We have steadily been picking up,” she said.

The Democratic headquarters on St. Catherine Street has been getting calls all day long for transportation assistance, Bailey said.

“We’ve had quite a few to pick up and take to the polls, mostly senior citizens and the disabled,” she said.

At noon, local Republican party member Sue Stedman said she had been visiting the precincts in the area getting an idea of how many people had come through.

The Liberty Park precinct had seen 450 of its 1,083 voters and the Duncan Park precinct had approximately the same number for its 1,366 registered voters.

“That indicates we’re having good turnout,” Stedman said.

Republican Ronnie Cox, Natchez resident, cast his vote for Sen. John McCain, and he said that if McCain is elected, MCain will have a hard road ahead of him.

“I think he has a very tough time ahead of him,” he said, referring to the myriad of issues the presidential candidates have pledged to tackle.

“How they approach those problems is the difference between the two and that’s what prompted me to vote for McCain,” he said.

He also voted for Ronnie Musgrove over Sen. Roger Wicker, because he is familiar with Musgrove.

“I voted for Musgrove mainly because he’s an ex-governor,” he said.

Natchez resident Stacy McCay said he feels that no matter who is elected in the presidential election, positive economic change is on the horizon.

“I think either way it doesn’t matter who gets it, we’ll see the economy improve,” McCay said.

He said the big difference between the candidates lies in a solution to the war.

“I believe, truly, that if McCain gets in, you’ll see us winning the war, I think you’ll see the desired outcome of the war,” he said. “If (Sen. Barack) Obama gets in, I don’t see us getting out anytime soon.”

Concordia Parish resident Cheryl Logan has her fingers crossed that Obama wins the election. She said she hopes under an Obama administration more jobs will be created and healthcare will be bolstered.

“The way the economy is going we need more healthcare and insurance,” she said.

Concordia Parish resident Gail Vestel said she wants McCain to win, but she thinks Obama will be elected.

She said the media has been biased in covering Obama and given McCain and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and bad rap by lumping them together with George W. Bush.

“It’s not fair,” she said.

She said Obama’s history is too unknown and he hasn’t had much experience.

“I just think McCain has more experience in the military and foreign countries and more experience with balancing the budget,” Vestel said.

Natchez resident Glenn Carroll said he’s just ready for the whole thing to be over and all he cares about is that he voted for the winner in the presidential race.

When it came to choosing between Wicker and Musgrove, the choice was simple. He said Wicker will just plain do a better job far than Musgrove, he said.