Early voting for the 2016 General Election reached high numbers in Newton County as voting lines continuously poured out of the two polling locations throughout the process.

According to Angela Mantle, Director of the Newton County Board of Elections, 22,051 people cast their ballot in person. An additional 1,577 mail-in ballots were received out of 2,286 that were sent out. 

Combining the in-person votes with the mail-in ballots received 40.6 percent of active voters cast a ballot thus far.

With Election Day polls open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Newton County will surely top the turnout for the 2016 March Presidential Preference Primary, in which 43.18 percent, or 22,149, cast a ballot.

There will be no early voting Monday before polls open on Tuesday.

This year’s presidential race has brought people to the polls in what seem to be large numbers, as the amount of ballots cast prior to Election day is more than half of the total number of votes for the 2012 election. During the last presidential election, 43,435 Newton County voters or 74.97 percent cast a ballot.

That election also featured a race for Newton County Sheriff. This year, the local races that are contested are Newton County Chair, coroner and tax commissioner.

Voters may check their polling location and pull a sample ballot from the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.