BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Voting started slow at some North Dakota polling places early Tuesday, while other officials said absentee voting was strong.

"We're about 70 votes behind four years ago," said Irene Flanagan, an inspector at the Fargo South High School polling place in Cass County. As of 10 a.m., she said, 169 people had cast ballots.

"Usually we have more waiting in the morning," Flanagan said. "At 7 (a.m.), we didn't, this time."

In Williston, deputy Williams County auditor Jim Ryen said the turnout seemed "pretty steady" when he went to vote.

"We've gotten around 1,700 absentee ballots that have been processed," Ryen said. "Out of a possible 8,000 voters, that's not bad."

Political candidates and their supporters who spent the day before Election Day drumming up more support had one other final task, as well - gathering up yard signs and other campaign material.

North Dakota law does not allow campaigning on Election Day, and has a $500 fine for violators, though attorneys say they cannot recall anyone being prosecuted.

"I know a lot of legislative campaigns, they've been out all day (Monday), taking down signs," said Jason Stverak, the state Republican Party director.

Jack McDonald, a Bismarck attorney for North Dakota newspapers and broadcasters, said the law is clearly unconstitutional. However, state lawmakers have voted to keep it. The last repeal attempt failed during the 1999 Legislature.

"In fact, the courts have said, 'What can be more important than political speech on the day that you're going to exercise your political right to vote?"' McDonald said.

Jim Fuglie, the state Democratic director, said some districts have made taking down yard signs into a social event.

"It's kind of become a pre-election night tradition (and) party," Fuglie said. "It's kind of become a ritual."

County auditors said they expected a good turnout Tuesday, driven mostly by local races for sheriff, county commissioner and the Legislature.

Mike Montplaisir, the Cass County auditor, said he believed about 40,000 people would vote in North Dakota's largest county. The secretary of state's office predicted more than 270,000 people would vote statewide in Tuesday's election, which would equal a turnout rate of about 55 percent.

Measure 3, a statewide ballot measure that would rewrite North Dakota's child custody laws, stirred interest, as did local initiatives in Grand Forks and Fargo to require utilities to sell electricity generated by renewable sources.

"I think people are going to be getting out," said Darlene Haugen, the Eddy County auditor. "The weather is supposed to be nice, and that will help with the turnout."

Kevin Glatt, the Burleigh County auditor, said county voters had turned in 4,880 absentee ballots by Monday.

"Things have been active. It's very good for a nonpresidential year," Glatt said. Absentee voting, he said, "has really picked up in the last week."

Some auditors were not expecting a rush of interest Tuesday. In Traill County, there are no legislative races and only one race for county commissioner, which affects three of the county's 13 precincts, Auditor Rebecca Braaten said.

"Our ballot's pretty boring," she said.