SOUTH BEND — Indiana voters turned out in record numbers to cast their ballots early. Now, the push is on to prepare for another potential record breaker on election day.

More than 14% of Indiana's 4.5 million registered voters, nearly 700,000 in all, cast their ballots early this year.

By the time early voting closed Monday afternoon, election workers across the state were focusing on their next hurdle: how to ensure all those votes count on election day.

In St. Joseph County, unofficial totals Monday night showed 20,885 people had voted absentee in person at either the County-City Building in South Bend or the County Services Building in Mishawaka.

An additional 7,982 absentee ballots had been received by mail.

"We still have approximately 800 [mail-in] ballots that are still out as well," said St. Joseph County Clerk Rita Glenn. "Whether they make it here in time is yet to be seen."

Even if none of those votes come in, the final number of "early votes" will more than double the 14,000 total absentee ballots cast in the county during the 2004 presidential election.

Martin Perez was one of the 1,084 voters who cast their ballot at the County-City building before Monday's noon deadline.

"I came out here to avoid the lines on election day!" he said with a laugh.

Turns out that plan didn't work out the way he'd hoped.

"I was not expecting a big line when I came out here," agreed D'Veda Ferrell, also standing in line to cast her vote.

But as lines were cut off in counties across the area, the final ballots were added to the stack to be counted.

The final results were staggering.

Almost 25% of St. Joseph County's registered voters have already cast their ballots. Other counties are reporting over 30% of their ballots already cast.

But none of those votes have been counted yet.

In St. Joseph County, all 28,543 ballots were being examined by hand, one by one, in the county clerk's office. After that, they were locked in a fireproof safe to await hand delivery to their proper precincts Tuesday morning.

"We bundle them into groups as we run reports to see whose ballot goes to what precinct. Those ballots will then be taken to the polling sites starting at 9 a.m. [Tuesday] morning. They'll be dropped off, and then each one will be fed through the [ballot counting] machine by 6 in the evening when the polls close," Glenn said.

But what happens if someone decides to try to "double vote" by casting another ballot in person?

"If a person gets there before their ballot does, they are able to vote," Glenn said.

But that doesn't mean they'll get two votes.

"If the voter is already signed in, that ballot will be marked as a void ballot, and put in a special envelope, and brought back to [the County Clerk's office.] So, the chances of a person double voting are slim and none," Glenn said.

There were plenty of volunteers working extra hours Monday to ensure every eligible voter can find their polling place.

At St. Joseph County's Voter Registration Department, phones rang off the hook all day.

"I couldn't even get a call out, because the lines were all jammed," said Republican voter registration board member Linda Silcott. "We expected a lot of calls today, and we weren't disappointed!"

The number one question on those calls, she said, was where voters should go to cast their ballots, and almost all asked it for the same reason:

"This is my first time voting," said Kiyonna Austin, of South Bend, who came to the County-City building in search of her polling place.

"It's my first time, too," echoed her friend Tawanna Jackson. "We need to find out what location to go to."

A recent analysis by the Orlando Sentinel of early voters in the battleground state of Florida found 22% were African-American, even though African-Americans only make up 13% of the state's registered voters.

But half of all early voters in Florida were over the age of 55. Just 15% were under the age of 35, even though young voters were expected to turn out in record numbers there.

Similar statistics are not maintained in Indiana, where voters are not asked to reveal their age, race or party affiliation on ballots.

However, Glenn said workers have saw a steady mix during early voting.

"We've seen them all. We had a woman who was 100 years old, but also a lot of 18 year olds coming in," she said.

Even so, the history books here in Indiana tell a similar story to Florida's.

"This story has been sort of traditional," Silcott said. "[Younger voters] register to vote, but then for some reason, they don't turn out on election day. But it may be different this time."

Jackson and Austin, both a part of the "younger voter" demographic, promise it will be different this year.

"We found our polling place, and we're going to be there!" Austin said.

That could mean a lot more long lines ahead.

"We're ready. We're absolutely ready!" Silcott said.

Even if lines are long outside your polling place, as long as your in line before 6 p.m. when polls close in Indiana, you will be allowed to vote.

Each polling place has a designated "sheriff" who will get in line at exactly 6 p.m. Anyone in front of the sheriff will be allowed to cast their ballot. Anyone behind the sheriff will be turned away.

Glenn also says it's highly unlikely St. Joseph County will run out of ballots, because one ballot has been printed for every registered voter in the county.

Even if 100% of the county's registered voters do turn out to vote, a local printing company is on standby in case any ballots have to be thrown out.

For more election headlines and voter resources, go to WSBT.com's Campaign ‘08 section.