Come Nov. 7, there's going

to be a whole lot of voting going on.

Carolyn Combs, Fayette County's

election superintendent, is predicting voter turnout could be as high

as 70 to 80 percent. "I may be wrong, but we expect a very high voter

turnout," she said.

Workers in the county elections

office are still working to process the applications of thousands of new

voters who registered in a last-minute flurry, Combs said. Registration

drives, more convenient methods of registering and publicity helped spur

the influx of new voters as the Oct. 10 deadline to be eligible to vote

in the Nov. 7 General Election approached, she said.

"We are processing a lot

of applications," she said. A random sampling of five days in late

September and early October showed 1,798 new voters signed up on those

five days alone.

The new voters will be added

to the 49,564 active and 8,121 inactive voters already on Fayette's rolls.

Anytime there's a big spike

in registrations it's reasonable to expect a large turnout, said Combs.

"And absentee voting has

been steady," she added, "so that's two good indications we'll

have a high voter turnout." A third indication is that her office

is handling a high number of phone calls with questions about polling

places, etc., she said.

High turnout means long lines

at polling places, but Combs said you can shorten the time involved in

voting, and thus shorten the lines of voters, by being prepared.

Sample ballots are available

in the elections office at 140 Stonewall Ave., Fayetteville, and as a

public service The Citizen will print the ballot in next week's edition,

Nov. 1. If you mark the sample ballot and take it with you into the voting

booth, it will speed up the process, Combs said.

In addition to a large number

of candidates in the national and local elections, there are 12 constitutional

amendments, referendums and bond issues on the ballot. If voters have

to read and comprehend all of those issues for the first time as they

vote, it will add greatly to the time required, Combs said.

You can read the synopses of

the referendum questions on the sample ballot, and if you need more information,

The Citizen also will print explanations offered by the Georgia Press

Association attorneys in next week's edition.

Brief explanations also are

available on the secretary of state's web site at www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/const_amend_2000.htm

. The secretary's office also offers a toll free information line with

information on the ballot questions. Phone (888) 265-1115.

"If you choose to vote

on the constitutional amendments and haven't read them ahead of time,

you're going to be in there a long time," said Combs.