At an elementary school in Dallas, elections officials were busy Monday setting up voting booths and putting up signs to get ready for Tuesday, Election Day.
"I go a lot of prep work," said election judge Michele Valentino. "It thrills me because I just love to see everybody get out and vote."
Valentino was an election judge during early voting.
"I checked in 17,000 voters," she recalled.
Based on that, Valentino has a prediction for Election Day.
"I suspect that this will be for sure heavier than it normally is," she said.
"We are expecting a really good turnout tomorrow," said Dallas County Assistant Elections Administrator Robert Heard Sr. "There will be lines and there will be excitement to go along with those lines."
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Heard said early voting in Dallas County had nearly 40-percent turnout. Election Day could push that voter turnout close to 70 percent.
Voters won't be the only ones at the polls. The U.S. Department of Justice is sending 500 election monitors across 28 states. Dallas County is among those being monitored. The DOJ did not state a specific reason, but its website explains that monitoring is routine and generally done in places where there are concerns about racial discrimination in the voting process.
Valentino said she was doing everything she could Monday night to make sure Tuesday's election goes off without a hitch.
"They know that every vote counts and they want their vote to count," Valentino said. "This is what democracy is about and I love it!"
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
