Kaley Dawson votes April 1 at the First Southern Baptist Church, 4300 W. Sixth St. Early voter turnout has been dismal for the school district's local option budget.

Polls are open until 7 tonight as the Lawrence school district seeks permission from voters to increase the district’s local option budget, and early activity suggests a relatively low voter turnout.

Jamie Shew, Douglas County clerk, went into today’s voting with expectations for 10 percent to 12 percent of registered voters to cast ballots.

But this morning, just before lunch, Shew himself showed up to vote at Kennedy School – with some 1,700 registered voters, the polling place is among the district’s largest – and ended up No. 28 in the books.

Even before the expected lunch and after-work rushes, the 1.6 percent turnout proved less than encouraging, especially after turnout for last year’s city election surpassed 20 percent.

“I’ve been checking around, and what we’re hearing is a really low turnout,” Shew said, as he continued checking in with some of his 275 poll workers fanned out across 55 polling sites in the county.

Outside of the school district, voters in Lecompton are choosing three city council members from among four candidates, and deciding whether to approve 1-cent citywide sales tax.