While there were long lines to vote early Tuesday morning, Election Day turnout slowed to a steady pace in the afternoon.

Polling places opened as early as 6 a.m. to handle turnout that was expected to hit 70 to 80 percent of registered voters in the state.

Maine typically gets turnouts of more than 70 percent — more than 700,000 voters — in presidential election years.

Maine officials did not release statewide turnout figures Tuesday night. Megan Sanborn, a spokeswoman for the Secretary of State’s Office, said only that polls were busier in the morning.

Absentee voting was down from four years ago. Nearly 197,000 ballots were requested by Nov. 2, and about 182,000 were returned, said Sanborn. That was down from 2008, when about 240,000 absentee ballots were cast.

In Portland at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, scores of voters stood in lines that snaked around Woodfords Church.

The line moved quickly, and neighbors made small talk while waiting for about a half-hour to vote.

At 9 a.m. at Freeport High School, there was no wait to vote but parking spaces were scarce, since school was in session.

The issues that got many Mainers to the polls were the next president and same-sex marriage.

Allison Walker brought her daughters, 10-year-old Ellie and 8-year-old Sophia, when she went to vote at Scarborough High School “so they could see the process and hopefully vote when they have the chance,” she said. Both girls had cast ballots in mock elections at school.

Walker said she was focused on the presidential election and Question 1 on Maine’s ballot, which would allow same-sex couples to marry. She voted “yes” on Question 1. She voted for Mitt Romney because of the weak economy, she said.

A steady stream of voters went to the Scarborough High School gym to vote late Tuesday afternoon.

Town Clerk Tody Justice said the busiest time was early in the morning, but turnout in Scarborough may be down from the 2008 presidential election.

By Tuesday evening, turnout at some polling places increased as people getting off work lined up to vote.

Keith Herrick, a campaign aide for Republican Jon Courtney’s run for Congress, said he’d seen heavy turnout at several polling places.

“There are 500 people standing outside of Windham right now,” Herrick said at 6:30 p.m. at Windham High School. “The line is unbelievable.”

Christina Peaco, a 19-year-old college student, voted for the first time Tuesday in Scarborough. She did not disclose which candidates she chose.

“I’m definitely voting for the future,” she said. “It feels like a lot of responsibility.”

Staff Writer Jessica Hall can be contacted at 791-6316 or at:

jhall@pressherald.com