Associated Press

Secretary of State Al Jaeger says 36 percent of North Dakota"s voters marked their ballots before Election Day.

Jaeger says the percentage was even higher in some of North Dakota's larger counties. In Cass, Grand Forks and Stutsman counties, more than 40 percent of the people voted early. In Stark County it was 53 percent.

North Dakotans had the option of voting by mail before Nov. 4. And six counties opened precincts for people to come in and vote before Election Day.

Each county had the option of opening one early voting precinct. Jaeger says the Legislature may want to allow counties to run more than one early precinct if they choose.

Jaeger says that could be useful in Cass County. The county had its early voting precinct at a Fargo hotel, and almost 21,000 people used it.