But Cragun said numerous studies in states with early voting show that the process doesn't favor one political party over another, doesn't necessarily favor one candidate over another, doesn't affect voter turnout by that much (a slight increase, perhaps), and is greatly liked by voters.

"You have to have better-organized campaigns," said Cragun, who used to be a Davis County commissioner and knows something about local, low-budget campaigning. "But that's a good thing" for any candidate.

A diligent candidate could even find out who had voted early from the county clerk so he could target those in his district who had not yet voted. Same thing in voter turnout — why waste calls to homes whose adults had already cast a ballot?

Rep. Craig Buttars, R-Lewiston, said early voting may actually let the "public quiet a campaign, if you see 50 percent (of voters) has already gone to polls (with a week left in campaigning), who would go on TV and on the radio with ads? This could be a very positive thing on political campaigns."

Officials in Reno, Nev., saw absentee balloting (a form of early voting) go from 2,000 people in 1996 to 34,000 in 2004 after liberal, aggressive early voting options were given to voters, said Pat Beckstead of the Davis County elections office.

Some Utah counties could see a third of citizens voting early "right off the bat" in 2006 if the option was well publicized and convenient central voting locations were found, Cragun said.

The old absentee ballot option would still be available. But like today, a person would have to show up in the clerk's office personally and apply for a ballot before getting one.

Under the new DRE system, a registered voter would just have to show up at a central voting area, sign in, show what ID was required and would vote immediately on a touch-screen DRE.

While realizing change is coming, Rep. Eric Hutchings, R-Kearns, said he hopes that whatever computer-based system is used, some thought and care is taken to consider senior citizens, who out of fear or for whatever reasons won't use computers.

"That group has been so faithful in voting for so many years, and many of them don't understand or embrace technology."

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com