Mitzi Scheible said telephones are ringing off the hook.

Election-season fervor will climax in two months, but it's already go time for the Ector County Elections Office.

"Statewide and the presidential election - that's going to be interesting," Scheible, county elections administrator, said Thursday.

Scheible and her team are keeping busy getting the word out about voter-registration deadlines, mail-in ballots and early-voting locations. They, along with the county's Republican and Democratic parties, have a booth set up at the Permian Basin Fair and Exposition through Sunday, and Scheible has a registration drive planned from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 20.

But there isn't a whole lot to decide on as far as local elections go.

Only three offices are contested out of the 10 up for grabs - Precinct 1 and 3 county commissioner and Precinct 2 constable.

"It's unusual," Scheible said. "This is the first presidential election I've worked that we have so few contested races countywide."

All new voters must register by Oct. 6. Anyone with a change of address must fill out a voter registration card with their new location by Oct. 6. Disabled people, anyone 65 or older and anyone who's planning on being out of town on Election Day can vote by mail-in ballot.

Mail-in voters have to fill out an application before they get a ballot sent to them. The application deadline is Oct. 28, and ballots must be postmarked by 5 p.m. Nov. 4. Felons can register to vote as long as they've completed their parole or probation.

Early voting booths will be set up at five locations around town from Oct. 20-31.

County Republican Party chairman Shane Marler said he's excited about the Sen. John McCain/Gov. Sarah Palin ticket. His party will be block walking to drum up support for Republican state and national candidates next weekend.

"There's three things that Palin did for McCain," Marler said. "She put his campaign in a historical context just like Barack's is now. He's picked a reformer, a maverick just like himself. She appeals very much so to the right side of the base, and she brings in the people who sat out in 2006 in the congressional races."

Bobbie Duncan, county Democratic Party chairwoman, said she's pumped about the races too but a little taken aback at how passionate voters are getting.

"We've become a one-party system in Odessa," she said. "There were some people who came by that were verbally abusive about our candidates and our party."

Duncan said she's pumped about state candidates.

"It's a real exciting year."  

IMPORTANT DATES

>> Sept. 20: County voter registration drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the County Courthouse Annex, 1010 E. Eighth St.

>> Oct. 6: Last day to register to vote or file an address change.

>> Oct. 20-31: Early voting.

>> Oct. 28: Last day to turn in an application for a mail-in ballot.

>> Nov. 4: Election Day.

HELP OUT

>> Elections administrator Mitzi Scheible badly needs bilingual poll workers. The pay is $9 an hour, and the work is tough, but you could help a lot of people.

>> If interested, call the county elections office at 498-4030.

LOCAL RACES

Contested races

>> Precinct 1 county commissioner: Linda Young Anglley (D) vs. Freddie Gardner (R).

>> Precinct 3 county commissioner: Dale Childers (R) vs. Barbara Graff (D).

>> Precinct 2 constable: David Lewallen (R) vs. Norman Witcher (D).

Uncontested races

>> 161st district judge: John W. Smith (R).

>> District attorney: Bobby Bland (R).

>> County attorney: Cindy Weir-Nutter (R).

>> Sheriff: Mark Donaldson (R).

>> Tax assessor-collector: Barbara Horn (R).

>> Precinct 1 constable: Steven Brennan (R).

>> Precinct 3 constable: Dean Johnston (R).