Let the voting begin.

Election polls open at 7 a.m. in Douglas County and the rest of Kansas. While no one knows how many people will have voted by the time polls close at 7 p.m., Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh is predicting low statewide turnout of 23 percent.

There are a number of statewide school board and congressional primaries. But the only primary races specific to Douglas County are for clerk in Wakarusa and Palmyra townships. Voters in the county also will cast ballots for precinct committee leaders. And in Eudora, voters will decide a referendum on a $3.8 million swimming pool and recreation center.

Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew said 943 people took advantage of advance voting, which ended at noon Monday. There are 74,028 voters registered in the county.

As it did in 2004, the Democratic Party has opened its primary to unaffiliated voters. Voters who have not claimed a party can vote using the Democratic ballot.

The Republican Party closed its primary, but unaffiliated voters can show up at their regular polling location and declare for the Republican Party. After they vote they can reregister as unaffiliated at the county clerk’s office.

Today’s election also marks the first time the county’s new voting machines are being used. Voters still will mark paper ballots, but the votes will be tabulated electronically with the paper ballots as backup. New machines also allow people with disabilities to vote without assistance.

“Everything has gone pretty well,” Shew said of preparations for today’s election.