Early voting for Georgia's March 1 presidential preference primaries got off to a strong start Monday in Athens-Clarke County.

By noon on the first day of early in-person voting - a number of Athens-Clarke voters already mailed in absentee ballots or sent ballots back from overseas before Monday - more than two dozen county voters came to the elections board office in downtown Athens to cast ballots, a number one elections office employee said was something of a surprise.

Among the people casting early ballots on Monday was Kenneth Dawson, who drove in from his home on Athens' west side to vote in the Republican primary.

"I just felt I wanted to get it over with," Dawson said, explaining that his desire to just get a ballot cast didn't reflect any general disgust for the slate of GOP candidates. He was in a hurry to vote, he said, because he knew unequivocally who he wants to see as the Republican nominee in the presidential race.

"Donald Trump," he said, adding, as if Trump were already in the Oval Office, "I think he's going to be good for the country."

"I've had my mind made up for a while," Dawson said, adding he wasn't at all concerned about the possibility that Trump would either be forced out of the race or might drop out before Georgia's March 1 primary. Voters in New Hampshire head to the polls Tuesday to make their choices in the presidential race, and before March 1, when Georgia will be among a number of Southern states hosting primaries, Republican voters in South Carolina will make their choices in a Feb. 20 primary, and Nevada Republicans will caucus on Feb. 23 to make their decisions.

Dawson also said he wasn't concerned about Trump's lack of experience in elected office, suggesting such experience isn't necessarily a prerequisite for handling the duties and responsibilities of elected office.

"It's like [conservative radio talk show host] Herman Cain says - 'How's that working out for you?'" Dawson said to make the point that, in his view, sitting elected officials are responsible for the country's current problems.

Also casting ballots in Athens-Clarke County on Monday were Joanne Marshall and her husband, Terry. Like Dawson, the Marshalls came in from Athens' west side - Joanne because she was certain of her choice, and Terry because he likes to avoid the possibility of standing in line at his polling place on election day - to cast early ballots.

"I wanted to make sure that I voted for Marco Rubio," Joanne Marshall said. Marshall said she wasn't particularly worried about what has been widely seen as a damaging gaffe by Rubio in Saturday's Republican presidential candidate's debate, hosted by ABC News.

During the debate, Rubio used the line, "Let's dispel this notion that Barack Obama doesn't know what he's doing; he knows exactly what he's doing," three times within a matter of a few minutes, even as fellow GOP contender and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was noting Rubio's reliance on sound bites and suggesting it is evidence Rubio isn't ready for the presidency.

"I've stamped and stammered myself," Marshall said, going on to say that it isn't fair "to judge somebody by a comment or two."

"I think he is the established Republican candidate," Marshall added.

Marshall, who said her first choice in the GOP presidential field was Rand Paul, the Kentucky senator who dropped out of presidential contention after a disappointing finish in last week's Iowa caucuses, went on to say that she is no fan of Trump, who finished second in last week's Iowa caucuses and was leading in the polls on the eve of the New Hampshire primary.

Trump is simply "too egotistical" to get her vote, Marshall said.

And as far Terry Marshall was concerned, there was no Republican candidate worthy of his vote. He chose a Democratic ballot on Monday in the downtown Athens elections office and marked it for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent running under the Democratic banner.

"I think he's an honest man," Terry Marshall said.

"I made him" vote for Sanders, Joanne Marshall said, saying that, in her view, Hillary Clinton, the former U.S. secretary of state, New York senator and first lady vying with Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination, "is not an honest person."

Early voting continues in Athens-Clarke County, and around the rest of the state, on weekdays through Feb. 26 - with one Saturday, Feb. 20, also designated for early voting. Athens-Clarke voters can cast early ballots in the Board of Elections office at 155 E. Washington St. in downtown Athens from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. weekdays and from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Feb. 20.