MEXICO – People streaming to the polls kept Town Clerk Penny Duguay and volunteers working with her busy all day, but people weren’t talking much, Duguay said Tuesday.

In Oxford and Franklin counties, turnout seemed strong and some clerks thought they may have seen record numbers of voters for a gubernatorial election.

A steady flow of people also hit the polls early in Dixfield, Peru and Canton. By 1 p.m., 350 people had voted in Dixfield, Town Clerk Vickie Carrier said. They also had a positive reaction to their new voting area, which was in the fire station’s kitchen rather than in the large bay area out front.

Peru Town Clerk Vera Parent said they had 500 voters by 5 p.m. and 100 absentee ballots cast. Parent also thought that despite the turnout, the final tally would be less than the last gubernatorial election.

“We’ve had a big turnout,” Canton Administrative Assistant Kathy Hutchins said late Tuesday afternoon. There, 250 voters turned out by 5:45 p.m. They also processed 65 absentee ballots.

“Compared to the last presidential election, I think today’s turnout will be a little more than that. Normally, we have certain times where we can kick back, but, today, we haven’t had that, not at all,” Hutchins said.

Voters offered mixed reasons for coming out to vote Tuesday.

Sheryl Briggs, 51, of Mexico said just about everything on the ballot brought her to the polls.

“This is the first time I’ve ever felt so unsure of certain candidates and questions,” Briggs said. “I had to do a lot of soul searching regarding who I felt would be the best candidate for the job. I took out the Democratic and Republican parties, and came to a conclusion on who would be best for the job. It wasn’t easy. Regarding the whole community, I got the feeling that the consensus was that they were unsettled about who or what to select.”

In nearby Jay, absentee ballots were at a record high and ballot clerks saw more young people registering to vote, Town Clerk Ronda Palmer said.

At 6:45 p.m. more than half of about 3,600 registered voters in Jay had cast ballots.

“I expected about 1,900 – that was my estimate,” Jay Town Clerk Ronda Palmer said.

The number had hit 2,150.

“I hope Question 1 goes through. I think we need a little bit more control of what’s going on in how the money is spent,” said Jay voter Beverly York.

Chesterville Town Clerk Patricia Gordon said the town has about 900 registered voters. About 500 of those had cast ballots by 7:20 p.m. and there were about 70 or so absentee ballots.

“Oh my gosh. It’s been wonderful. I expected a big turnout. I think people are looking for change in government,” Gordon said.

Over in Livermore Falls, Town Clerk Kristal Flagg said absentee ballots cast at 250 by 6:30 p.m. was five times more than normal.

“We normally have 50,” Flagg said. “It has been heavy all day.”

About half of Livermore Falls’ 2,400 or so registered voters had turned out to vote with a long line still waiting to cast ballots.

“We’ve been very busy,” New Sharon ballot clerk Terry McManus said about a half-hour before the polls closed. “We’ve had 62 percent voter turnout.”

The town has 1,177 registered voters with more than 700 of those casting ballots.

“I think it’s a record,” said ballot clerk Jim Smith, who is also chairman of the New Sharon Board of Selectmen. “New Sharon always has a good turnout. I think a large number of young people voted.”

“Interest is picking up,” Alberta Currier, another New Sharon ballot clerk, said.

New Sharon Town Clerk Rose Mary Eller said the town received 136 absentee ballots.

“We’re lucky if we have six,” she said of other years.

Many of those who did cast ballots at the polls said they wanted to weigh in on TABOR or the governor’s race. Others said it was local issues that drew them to the polls. Some also said they vote regardless.

Republican voter Kim Wright, of Dixfield, said she votes every year.

“Ever since I was a senior in high school. The teachers pushed us to vote,” she said.

“There was no particular issue for me. I vote no matter what,” Charlie Blanche of Dixfield said after voting in Dixfield.