Photo by Joe Imel/Daily News Rachel Boca-Vaughn of Bowling Green votes Tuesday at the Millers precinct at Henry Moss Middle School.

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From slim to moderate is how early voting today in southcentral Kentucky is being described, with just the “normal” problems being reported.

Warren County Clerk Dot Owens said she’d had a couple of calls from Natcher Elementary School, where it was believed that there were poll watchers at the precinct.

“But we don’t know for sure because they had left before we got there,” Owens said. “They may have just been some people hanging around and didn’t know you shouldn’t.”

On Monday, Secretary of State Trey Grayson sent out alerts to county clerks that he had reason to believe some campaigns planned to have poll watchers in Kentucky. While it is legal in many states, it is not in Kentucky. Poll watching occurs when campaign workers attempt to find out who has not voted yet and then “uses that information to call supporters who have not yet showed up at the polls,” according to a news release from Grayson’s office.

Owens said turnout seemed slim, “but it may be a little too early to tell.”

In addition to the presidential race, voters in Warren County had a chance to select a Democratic and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Democratic nominee for U.S. representative in the 2nd District, and in Bowling Green city limits to narrow the mayoral field to two.

Slim turnout or not, Anthony Souders of Rockfield says it is important to vote.

“It is your right and you should,” said Souders, a Democrat.

Souders said he hoped that Kentucky still could play a role in choosing the Democratic nominee since he was voting for Hillary Clinton - whom he called the lesser of two evils.

Julia Wilkerson of Rockfield was wholeheartedly supporting Clinton and brought her granddaughter, 10-year-old Jessica Pearson, along for the occasion.

Jessica and her grandmother discussed the election last night, said Jessica, who liked Clinton, too.

“I think it’s wonderful ... It’s about time we had a woman we could vote for for president,” Wilkerson said. “But that’s not the only reason why I am supporting her. I’ve read her books and been interested in what she’s had to say ever since Bill was president.”

At Bowling Green Junior High School, voters in three precincts came to the polls. Precinct Sheriff Nancy Stevenson said voting had been steady but without lines.

“The people who come here are very dedicated voters who started out coming to elections when they were very young,” Stevenson said, noting that’s a good habit to start.

Marcellus Roe is one of those voters who has been turning out to vote since he was eligible.

“I’ll be glad when this is over, though” he said. “But it definitely has been historic.”

Roe said he chose to support Barack Obama in the primary and probably will in the general election as well.

“I’m a local business owner (Total Images Audio) and I have tried to look at it from all angles,” Roe said. “The way I look at it, things can’t get any worse.”

On his way out of the gymnasium, former WKU All-American basketball player Jim McDaniels ducked to get through the door while talking to an acquaintance about a basketball camp he was planning.

McDaniels paused briefly to talk about the election.

“I think it’s wonderful and great to see the young people come out and get involved in the process,” McDaniels said.

Several hundred people, including many young voters, helped open Obama’s Bowling Green headquarters on State Street. Outside headquarters this morning, worker Shalen Bhatt paced while talking on his cell phone.

McDaniels said he was openly supporting Obama.

“He’s young and he’s one of the first people who I’ve heard talk in a long time who literally gave me goosebumps,” he said. “And he’s very passionate.”

McDaniels’ wife, Carolyn, said she’s not revealing her choice, but said she’s pleased about how the election “has gotten a lot of people thinking.”

Simpson County Clerk Bobby “Chip” Phillips described voting in his county as “mediocre.”

Earlier, Phillips had predicted as much as a 50 percent turnout since the county has a highly contested race for 9th District Senate seat, in addition to the other races.

“It’s maybe not going to be quite as heavy as I thought,” Phillips said.

Both Phillips and Owens said they just had the normal election morning problems, including having to refresh new clerks on procedures.

At Moss Middle School, voters were getting to use the new E-scan voting machine.

“The clerks tell me they love it,” Owens said.

Logan County was one of seven in the state to get the E-scan machines for all of its polling places.

In Auburn, poll worker David Youngblood was diligently informing voters how to use the new system.

“Make sure you fill in the box really dark,” Youngblood cautioned them.

It was a little like taking a computer-graded multiple-choice test, only you had to use a black ink pen instead of a No. 2 pencil. Voters were told not to circle their answers - votes - and to not fold the ballot.

The form also had to be signed, the signature detached and placed in a box before scanning the form.

“That way we have a record that you voted ... so we don’t have any problems,” Youngblood said. “But nobody gets to see how you voted.”

Voters place their ballots on a computer scanner that in seconds scans the ballot, deposits it in a locked box and displays an American flag on the screen to signal that scanning was properly completed.

Youngblood said voting had been steady.

Polls are open today until 6 p.m., with anyone standing in line at the time eligible to vote. Grayson’s office will have up-to-date returns on elections, except for the Bowling Green mayor’s race, at www.vote.ky.gov.