Early voting begins for Ark. preferential primary (UALR Public Radio) - State election officials don't expect as big a turnout in the state preferential primary as in February's presidential primary.

Early voting begins tomorrow for the May 20th party primaries and judicial races.

Secretary of State Charlie Daniels says he's not expecting the high voter interest that the state saw in the February Fifth primary, which featured a 35 percent voter turnout. About 70,000 of the more than 544,00 voters who cast a ballot in February did so through early voting.

Daniels says that with few high-profile races capturing the state's attention, he doubts the turnout among the state's roughly 1.6 million voters will be as high.

Tight legislative races may be hard to find. Of 118 legislative seats that are on the ballot this year, there are only 18 contested Democratic primaries and nine Republican contests.

Turnout may also be affected by the lack of any contested primaries for the state's four incumbent congressmen and the U.S. Senate seat held by Mark Pryor, who didn't draw any major party opponents for the primary or general election.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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