NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — About 10% of registered voters in Orleans Parish hit the polls early. That’s according to Chief Elections Officer Darren Lombard.

Currently, there are about 260,000 registered voters in the parish. About 27,000 of them took part in early voting.

“Usually that is typical for early voting,” said Lombard.

Tuesday afternoon, officials sat down in City Council Chambers to count absentee ballots as well. Some are hand-counted and others are scanned. It’s a process that Lombard says takes hours.

At the polls, he says lines were forming before they were even open.

“They had at least 75 people in line by the time polls opened which was exciting to see,” said Lombard.

Benita Franklin is a registered voter in the parish. She says she never misses an Election Day, saying it’s her duty as an Orleans Parish resident.

“Every vote counts and if I don’t get mine in I can’t complain about anything wrong in the city,” said Franklin. “People died for us to vote and like I said it gives you a voice.”