FARMINGTON — While thousands of San Juan County residents have already voted in the general election, the County Clerk's Office is preparing for a busy day on Tuesday.

There are 34 voting convenience centers in San Juan County. People can vote at any of the 34 centers. Sample ballots are available online at sjcclerk.net and on the website of the Secretary of State's office at sos.state.nm.us.

"We've had a great turnout so far," County Clerk Debbie Holmes said on Thursday.

Early voting at the county office's began Oct. 11, and at alternate locations in Farmington, Bloomfield, Newcomb and Shiprock on Oct. 22.

By Thursday morning, more than 17,700 people had voted. When early voting closed at 6 p.m. Saturday, there was still a line, according to Tanya Shelby, the deputy county clerk and candidate for county clerk. She said everyone in line had the opportunity to vote.

By Saturday, 24,547 citizens had voted, including 14,393 registered Republicans and 6,597 registered Democrats, according to Shelby. That was an increase from the 2012 presidential election, when approximately 22,000 San Juan County residents participated in early voting, according to Holmes.

There are 71,930 registered voters in the county.

In an effort to speed up the voting process on election day, voters can track wait times at voting convenience centers using the San Juan County Clerk's webpage.

Holmes said poll workers at each convenience center will periodically estimate the number of people in line and enter the number into a program. She said the system will then calculate the wait time.

Holmes said the waiting time tracker will help voters choose a location where they won't have to wait so long.

In Farmington, Holmes said the Farmington Museum at Gateway Park tends to be the busiest polling location. The tracking system will allow voters to see what the wait time is at the museum and possibly choose another location such as the Farmington Public Library or the Farmington Civic Center.

Holmes encouraged people to take their voter identification card to their voting center to speed up the process, although the card is not required for people to vote. Holmes said the County Clerk's Office has never had any reports of anyone voting using another person's name and registration.

She said during the 2004 elections, there were problems with incomplete registrations, such as a number missing in a Social Security number or a missing address.

Holmes said the people who did not complete their registration were not registered to vote and did not participate in the 2004 election.

Hannah Grover covers government for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4652.

Voting convenience centers 

Shiprock

Phil L. Thomas Performing Arts Center: Off of U.S. Highway 64 west of Shiprock High School

Central Consolidated School District business office: South of U.S. Highway 64 across from the Shiprock Chapter house

Nenahnezad

Nenahnezad Chapter House: Between County Road 6675 and Navajo Route 36

Kirtland

Brooks/Isham Performing Arts Center: 540 County Road 6100

Kirtland Youth Association: 39 County Road 6500 

Farmington

Farmington City Hall: 800 Municipal Drive

Farmington Civic Center: 200 W. Arrington St. 

Sycamore Park Community Center: 1051 Sycamore St. 

Piñon Hills Community Church: 5101 N. Dustin Ave.

Farmington Public Library: 2101 Farmington Ave.

Piñon Hills Seventh Day Adventist Church: 5001 Foothills Drive 

Farmington Museum at Gateway Park: 3041 E. Main St. 

San Juan County Multi Agency Building: 7450 E. Main St.

McGee Park: 41 County Road 5568

Bloomfield

Bloomfield Cultural Center: 333 S. First St.

Bloomfield City Hall: 915 N. 1st St.

Blanco

Blanco Fire Station: 7372 U.S. Highway 64

Flora Vista

Flora Vista Fire Station: 2 County Road 3275

Aztec

SJC Fire Operations Center: 209 S. Oliver Drive

Aztec Masonic Lodge: 1020 N.E. Aztec Blvd.

Cedar Hill

Cedar Hill Fire Station: 4 County Road 2343

La Plata

La Plata Community Center: 1438 N.M. Highway 170

Navajo Nation

Gadii'ahi Chapter house: 11 miles northwest of Shiprock on County Road 9100

Beclabito Chapter house: On U.S. Highway 64 east of the Arizona state line and 18 miles west of Shiprock 

Tse alnaozt'i'I (Sanostee) Chapter house: Nine miles west of U.S. Highway 491 on Indian Service Route 34

Crystal Chapter house: One-third of a mile north on Navajo Route 12 from junction Navajo Route 12 and Navajo Route 134

Two Grey Hills Chapter house: Junction of Navajo Route 5000 and Navajo Route 5001

Newcomb Fire Station: At mile marker 56 1/2 on U.S. Highway 491 

Sheep Springs Chapter house: One-quarter mile west of the Sheep Springs Store, located at 491 Red Mesa Road

Naschitti Chapter house: At mile marker 42 on U.S. Highway 491

Lake Valley School: 13 County Road 7750

Nageezi Chapter house: 11554 NM Highway 550

Huerfano Chapter house: 536 County Road 7150

Tiis Tsoh Sikaad Chapter house (Burnham): 12 miles east of U.S. Highway 491 on Navajo Route 5 and one-half mile south on Navajo Route 5080.