Precinct chairman Ray Hadley, right, counts down the seconds until those who have filled out their ballots can officially place them in the ballot box at 7 a.m. Tuesday in Ester.

...acres as a flock of hundreds of frightened birds hit the air at once. Things were calm again a couple of minutes later. Ray Hadley, a volunteer manning an information booth a few yards away from the field, didn't know what caused the scare...