News : Election time! Nearly 2,200 have already voted in Benton County

Sealed and ready, the automark machine (used by visually impaired voters), sits at a polling site.

Benton County voters have already set another record for absentee and early voting in a non-presidential election. As of Monday morning, the Benton County Auditor's Office reported 2,146 early voters and absentee ballot requests.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 2. Those who are not registered to vote can do so on Election Day, if they take identification with them to the polling place. For more information, call the Benton County Auditor's Office at 319-472-2365.

On Tuesday, voters will choose candidates for Governor of Iowa, Congress, the Iowa Legislature, and county and township offices. But the only contested area race on the county or state level is that for Benton County Supervisor. For the third straight election, Ed Sass and Jason Sanders are running against each other. Iowa House District 39 incumbent Dawn Pettengill of Mount Auburn is running unopposed.

Rural voters will also have to elect township trustees and clerks.

According to the Iowa Secretary of State's Office, Benton County is virtually equally divided among the parties. There are 4,966 registered Republicans, 4,959 registered Democrats 7,128 registered with no party, and 11 with other party affiliation, for a total of 17,064 registered voters.