North Dakota's top political candidates hopscotched between the state's largest cities, getting in some final hours of campaigning before they braced to learn Tuesday what voters thought of their efforts.

Campaign volunteers canvassed neighborhoods to distribute flyers and collect yard signs, which must be out of sight today to avoid violating a state law that bans electioneering on Election Day.

County auditors said they expected a good turnout, 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 today'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."

Republican candidates for the Legislature and statewide offices rallied Monday at the state party's headquarters, just south of the Capitol, before some candidates set off on a bus trip to Fargo for some last-minute campaigning.

The Democratic candidates for secretary of state, tax commissioner, public service commissioner and attorney general used a plane to make campaign appearances Monday in Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot and Bismarck. The fly-around finished late Monday at state Democratic headquarters in Bismarck.

Some auditors were not expecting a rush of interest today. 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.

One final task for candidates and their supporters Monday was to gather up yard signs and other campaign material. North Dakota law does not allow campaigning on Election Day, and has a $500 fine for violators, although 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."