“They were all so happy,” she said. “And they were making new friends in line.”

Though presidential elections typically draw a higher turnout than other elections, Bryant believes citizens’ interest in the seven state questions on this year’s ballot also bolstered numbers. The mild, sunny weather didn’t hurt turnout, either, she added.

This year also marks the first presidential election in which the Election Board has operated a satellite polling location, which likely drew more voters from other parts of the city.

The high turnout didn’t cause any issues for board staff, save for when Bryant had to call for additional help at the Hardesty Regional Library to assist with lines, she said.

Even with the high early turnout, Bryant still suspects polling locations will be buzzing with voters during Tuesday’s general election, though she thinks early voting may result in slightly shorter line lengths.

“I still think it’ll be a high turnout at the poll, even though nearly 18,000 people have already voted,” she said. “But that’s sure going to help on Tuesday to take away part of that crowd from the poll.”

Polls on Tuesday will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Paighten Harkins 918-581-8455 paighten.harkins@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @PaightenHarkins