Election boards opened their doors for early voting Tuesday and voters have come.

Thousands cast ballots on the first day, with some making a statement by camping out to be one of the first. Boards say they have seen a steady stream of voters all week.

More than 1,000 voted this week in Butler County at the Princeton Road headquarters. As of 5 p.m. Friday, 1,729 early ballots had been cast in person, according to Lynn Edward Kinkaid, elections board director.

On Friday afternoon, Warren County election officials reported 823 votes had been cast at their office.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Kinkaid said when asked if the large number of early voters was what he expected. “This is a very important and a very interesting election.”

He added it is hard to predict if the pace will gain momentum or drop off in the next couple weeks, noting it depends on weather, election news and the debates.

Election officials expect fewer voters at the polls on Election Day because of early voting, Kinkaid said.