3:47 p.m. - Burleigh County Auditor Kevin Glatt is not shy when asked to predict election turnouts. In fact, he usually gives a precise prediction rather than a ballpark figure.

He expects a record-breaking "36,429" people to cast their votes today in Burleigh County, which would break the previous record of 34,777 in November 2000. He has a pretty good batting average when it comes to predicting turnouts.

"I'm usually within a percent or less," he said.

The number of Burleigh County residents who absentee voted has already broken a record. As of 11 a.m. Monday, Burleigh County had sent out 10,000 absentee ballots and received almost 8,000 back. The county's previous record for absentee voting was 5,369 in 2002. Within the space of three hours on Saturday, 360 people showed up to vote at the auditor's office, and traffic continued to be brisk Monday morning.

In Bismarck and the surrounding Burleigh County precincts, polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. In rural Burleigh County precincts -- such as Wing, Baldwin, Driscoll, McKenzie, Regan, Sterling and Moffitt -- polls open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

All Morton County precincts are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and remember, the county is all on Central Standard Time now.

Morton County Auditor Paul Trauger also is expecting a good turnout. He ordered 2,050 absentee ballots and had to reorder more. He has sent out about 2,430 absentee ballots.

"I'm look at around 12,500 (voters)," he said. "It's probably going to be one of our bigger turnouts."

The county's record turnout is about 12,500.

While Burleigh and Morton auditors predict a record-breaking turnout, Secretary of State Al Jaeger predicts a normal turnout statewide. In the last presidential election, 292,249 North Dakotans voted, or 62 percent of eligible voters. Jaeger predicts the turnout will be "in the 60s" again. He expects the high number of absentee voters to make a dent in election day turnouts.