LUMBERTON — One-stop voting for this year’s municipal elections got off to a fast start Thursday.

Dock Locklear, director of the Robeson County Board of Elections, said that 351 voters took advantage of the chance to cast their ballots before the Nov. 3 general election on the first day of one-stop voting. By early Friday, however, Locklear said that the rush to the polls appeared to have slowed.

“We only had about seven voters by 10:45 this morning,” he said Friday. “By this same time yesterday we had about 175 voters.”

According to Locklear, about 24,000 of Robeson County’s approximate 68,500 voters are eligible to vote in the municipal elections. Town board seats are up for grabs in all of the county’s 15 municipalities. Countywide races won’t be held until 2010.

All of the municipalities are electing town board members, with 11 also electing mayors. There are no mayoral races in Lumberton, Pembroke, St. Pauls or Maxton.

Because there are no major state, county or federal offices being contested in this general election, Locklear said he does not anticipate a large number of voters casting their ballots.

“If we get out 18 to 20 percent of the voters we will be doing well,” he said.

The director said that Thursday’s turnout at the polls was “good for any election.” He added that the turnout was especially good for the first day of an “off-year election.”

According to Locklear, a large number of the one-stop voters were from Precinct 5 in Lumberton, where incumbent Councilman John Cantey Jr. is being challenged by Patricia McNair McRae.

Locklear also said that 41 of the first-day voters were from Fairmont. In that community, Mayor Charles Kemp is being challenged by John R. “Ronnie” Jackson.

One-stop voting ends on Oct. 31. One-stop ballots can only be cast at the county Board of Elections office in Lumberton. It will be open weekdays from 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“We are encouraging people to participate in one-stop voting if they have the time,” Locklear said. “You never know when something may come up that will prevent you from getting to the polls on Election Day.”