NORWICH – Chenango County voters cast their ballots today in the 2012 General Election. Polls opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 9 p.m.

To locate district poll sites, go to www.co.chenango.ny.us/elections/ and click on “Polling Places” located in the middle of the page. Tuesday’s elections results may also be monitored on the website, most likely beginning at 9:30 p.m. with results coming in first from the city and town of Norwich and ending with votes from Lincklaen. Click on: “Election Results.”

The number of active voters registered as of last Thursday was 28,591, but turnout on Election Day is normally low countywide. Even in the hotly contested Republican Party Primary race for Chenango County Court Judge in September, only one-third of registered Republicans marked their ballots.

The Republican Party has historically dominated Chenango County, making the Land of the Bullthistle a solid GOP stronghold in upstate New York. But unlike in years past, where Republicans have traditionally outnumbered Democrats by 3 to 1, the ratio is closer to 2 to 1 at present. And of the major political parties, there are more Independence Party registered voters, 14,209, than either Republicans (with 12,576) or Democrats (with 7,606).

The large number of registered Independence Party voters is surprising, say elections officials. “That gives them a very, very big presence in the elections now, much more so through the last decade,” said Board of Elections Republican Commissioner Harriet Jenkins. The commissioner and her counterpart Democratic Commissioner Carol A. Franklin often speculate as to whether new voters actually know the difference between Independence Party and voting independent or blank.