While we won’t know the results until later tonight – polls close at 7:30 p.m. – a quick lunchtime tour of five county polling places shows that turnout is sluggish but typical for a non-presidential year.

Just after noon at Maggie Valley’s Ivy Hill precinct, 112 people had voted in person after 167 others had already submitted absentee ballots.

For purposes of comparison, almost 2,400 votes were cast there during the 2016 Presidential Election; given that was a general election – not a primary – and featured a competitive presidential race, it can be thought of as the upper limits of voter turnout.

At 12:30 p.m. at the Jonathan Creek precinct, 113 had voted and 147 absentee ballots had also been counted. There were 1,994 votes cast there in 2016.

Shortly before 1 p.m., 100 voters had appeared at the South Clyde precinct, adding to 84 absentee ballots; 1,581 were cast in 2016.

Shortly after 1 p.m., Canton’s Beaverdam 1 precinct had seen 31 voters with 30 absentee ballots cast, with 769 total in 2016.

And in the South Waynesville 1 precinct at 1:40 p.m., 147 voters cast ballots, with 155 absentee ballots also collected while 1,421 were cast in 2016.

Look for full coverage of today’s election in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties in the May 16 issue of The Smoky Mountain News.