Earlier this election season, Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen visited our editorial board to answer our questions about touch-screen voting and the opportunities for Utahns to vote early. In that meeting, Swensen raised the possibility of longer waits at polling places because voters will not be familiar with touch-screen technology, and that there are fewer touch-screen machines than there were punch-card stations statewide. I'm going to venture a guess that long waits in line in polling places aren't going to be a big hit with Utah voters.

So if you're ready to vote, you should. Go to www.elections.utah.gov for information on early voting or call your county clerk's office for early voting locations.

Or risk the lines on Election Day. I confess. That was one reason I decided to vote early.

Here's one more small incentive. The poll workers at Central City Community Center rewarded voters with red, white and blue "I voted early" stickers. I can't wait to show it to my husband. After 18 years of marriage, he's come to believe that I am pathologically late. I think he's given up on the notion that I can be on time, let alone early. I can. I now have proof.

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Marjorie Cortez, who got just as much of rush out of voting early as voting on Election Day, is a Deseret Morning News editorial writer. E-mail: marjorie@desnews.com.