After months of planning, the 2012 General Election is set to unfold Tuesday, though the selection process has already begun with a surge of early voting.
“We are ready to go and definitely hoping for a large turnout,” said Hamilton County clerk/election commissioner Pat Anderson. “We have had 712 early vote requests so far and people can still request early vote ballots up until election day.”
The deadline for voter registration was Friday, and Anderson said the final totals show that 6,440 Hamilton County residents are eligible to vote this year. Of those, 4,141 are registered as Republicans, 1,411 as Democrats, 875 as non-partisan and 13 as Liberterians.

Anderson also noted that approximately 2,500 ballots have been mailed out to mail-only precints. “We want to make sure that all the people in the precints that ballots were mailed to, be sure you get your ballots back ot the county clerk’s office (in the courthouse) by 8 p.m. on election night,” she added.
For those who plan to vote in person, the polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Residents in Aurora wards 1, 2 and 3 will vote at the Bremer Center. Those in Precinct 7 will vote at the community hall in Hordville. And voters in Precinct 8 can cast their ballots at the Marquette Fire Barn.
If all goes as planned, Anderson said unofficial results should  be available by 10 p.m. Tuesday. They will be posted in the courthouse, as well as on the county’s website, www.co.hamilton.ne.us.
“If there are any questions whatsoever, please give us a call at the office,” Anderson added. That number is 402-694-3443.

Ballot preview
Listed here are the races Hamilton County voters will be asked to help decided in the General Election:
President/vice presidnet of the United States -- Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan (GOP); Barack Obama/Joe Biden (Dem); Gary Johnson/James Gray (Liberterian); Randall Terry/Marjorie Smith (by petition.
U.S. Senate -- Bob Kerry (Dem); Deb Fischer (GOP).
U.S. Congress -- Adrian Smith (GOP); Mark Sullivan (Dem)
Hamilton County Commissioner -- Dist. 3, John Thomas; Dist. 4, Gregg Kremer
Aurora School Board -- Jay Oswald, Scott Schuster, Clint Paisley, Jacy Todd, Scott Scheierman (elect 3)
Giltner School Board -- Chris Most (elect 3)
Hampton School Board -- Craig Anderson, Matt Arndt, Chris Friesen (elect 3 for 4-year term); Matthew Arnett, Linda Troester (elect 1 for 2-year term).
High Plains School Board -- Wendy Hudson, Karen Stevens, Brian Samuelson, Kevin Urkoski (elect 3).
Aurora City Council -- Ward 1, Wayne Roblee; Ward 2, Paul Shaneyfelt, Kelly Grossnicklaus (elect 1); Ward 3, Dave Long.
Aurora Airport Authority -- D. Ross Beins, R.M. Pence (elect 2).
Giltner Village Board -- Casey Nuss, Kay Larson (elect 3).
Hampton Village Board -- Kirk Goertzen (elect 2).
Hordville Village Board -- Marwin Rogers, Rod Blase, Richard Larson (elect 3).
Marquette Village Board -- Clinton Petersen, Dennis Saum, Bonnie Kisley (elect 2)
Phillips Village Board -- Marvin Ziola, Dwayne Bergmark (elect 2).
Stockham Village Board -- Dean Held, Lewis Schelkopf, Tom Darbro (elect 3).