SPANISH FORT, Alabama — Spanish Fort Police Chief David Edgar monitored traffic control mid-morning today for a surge of voters, surprised and pleased by a full parking lot at Fire Station No. 1 on U.S. 31.

Nearby, New Life Assembly of God, a precinct on U.S. 31, and East Point Baptist Church on State Road 225 asked for traffic-control deputies to assist in what may be historical numbers of voters in Baldwin County.

The parking lot at Silverhill Town Hall, a Central Baldwin polling site, was full at 10 a.m., an occurrence generally seen for lunch and after-work voters.

Baldwin County Probate Judge Tim Russell said 200 voters were in line in Orange Beach at 10 a.m., 150 in Gulf Shores, 75 in Elberta and Lillian, respectively, and 200 in Foley.

“The turnout is historic,” Russell said at 10:50 a.m. “This wasn’t at 7 a.m. when polls open for voters who want to cast ballots before going to work. I am excited and I have never seen anything like this.”

Baldwin County Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack said the numbers were “large” everywhere, and that after school and voter traffic may present a problem this afternoon.

Mack and Edgar agreed that the unprecedented polarization of political thought for the two presidential candidates was the driving force in what may be an 80 percent turnout,with the school tax issue a secondary motivation for voters.

“People are energized, and not griping about being in line,” Mack said. “There is a sense of passion in this election cycle.”

Mack said some voters may wait up to 90 minutes to cast their ballots due to careful reading of amendments while at voting booths.

He encouraged voters to read amendments before going to the polling sites.

In some Baldwin County sites and throughout the nation, voters in line with iPhone are assuming a town crier role to read ballots and amendments to those in line.

Polls will close at 7 p.m. Poll inspectors near the Baldwin County Administration Building in Bay Minette will transport ballots for tallying. A team of deputies will secure ballots at most polling sites and deliver them to the county seat.

Russell said precinct packages will be fed into a system for computation in public view. Hard copies will be available to the public and individual results will be posted online as they are received. A breakdown of precinct and incremental totals will be available until the last precinct is counted.

To access the information online or to preview ballots, go to baldwincountyal.gov, click on probate, then follow the prompts.

The first returns are expected to be posted by 7:30 p.m.