BEATRICE – Local voter turnout appeared to be solid early on election day, in Beatrice.

At both Christ Community Church and the Southeast Nebraska YMCA, several voters were casting ballots.   About 120 had done so at the YMCA location for Beatrice Ward One, in just over an hour.

Christ Community Church serves as the voting location for Wards Two and Four….while the Beatrice Public Library, is the Ward Three voting location.

Gage County Election Commissioner Dawn Hill says a record 14,657 Gage County residents are registered to vote in this general election, with 5,303 early ballots taken out…or about 36-percent of the total number registered.

Poll officials had encountered about a half-dozen incidents of electioneering, or displaying campaign-related clothing or material too close to polling locations.  That’s against the law in Nebraska.

It’s illegal to campaign or electioneer with 200 feet of the entrance of a polling location.  That means you can’t promote a candidate or issue with things like buttons, stickers or T-shirts.

Voting in Nebraska takes place until 8 p.m. Central Time.

Wards 2 and 4 at Christ Community Church
Wards 2 and 4 at Christ Community Church