The mountains witnessed record voter turnout in the 2008 election driven primarily by voters casting their ballots in the presidential election.

“I mainly had the president on my mind when I came here today,” said Dawn Shuler, a voter in Swain County who came to the polls with three kids in tow to cast her ballot during early voting for Obama.

While voter turnout reached record levels, the even bigger story behind the 2008 election is the huge number who voted early.

At the Maggie Valley voting precinct, so many voters had cast their ballots early that Election Day was somewhat uneventful, said Roger McElory, the Maggie Valley mayor who took up his usual election day post on the lawn outside town hall to watch voters coming and going.

At the Waynesville library polling place, those who voted early outnumbered those who voted on election day by 2 to 1.

Many who voted early were scared into doing so by media reports predicting unprecedented voter turnout that conjured visions of hour-long lines.

“I don’t want the lines,” said Sally Walkes, who voted early in Haywood County.

But ironically, voters who waited until Election Day often fared better when it came to lines. Early voting takes place in just one or two places in each county, while on Election Day there are many more polling stations open.

Such was the case for Bill Plafcan, who drove past the early voting site in Waynesville on his way to work from Maggie Valley every day but was scared off from stopping in by the number of cars crowding the parking lot.

“I was hearing all the news about people voting early and I thought, ‘You know, I have a better chance at not waiting in line if I come on Election Day. I was right,” said Plafcan, who was in and out of the polls in five minutes.

But for many, the idea of casting ballots collectively as a nation on Election Day carries meaning.

Nov. 4 “is the day!,” exclaimed Dr. Joanne Stilly, a Waynesville voter.

“They have Election Day for a reason. It’s supposed to mean something,” said Beth Stalters, a Waynesville voter.

From his post on the lawn of Maggie town hall, McElroy witnessed an interesting trend on Election Day, one much touted by the national media in the run-up to the election.

“I’ve seen more young people today than I’ve seen in any other election,” McElroy said.

Mark Demeola, a Maggie alderman who also spent the day on the front lawn of town hall giving out cookies and candy to kids who came to vote with their parents, also noticed a turnout trend.

“I’m seeing lots of people who have never voted before,” Demeola said.

Such was the case for Janie Mason, 47, in Haywood County who came to the polls for the first time in her life, inspired by Barack Obama.

Swain County Board of Elections Deputy Director Judy Allman said she was very impressed with the turnout in her county.