Turnout was brisk in Warren County this morning as voters here and across the state headed to the polls to help choose a president, five federal officials, five state appellate judges, three county election commissioners and a school board member.

About 150 voters at the Culkin precinct braved tight parking at Sherman Avenue Elementary in the first 20 minutes of voting, poll manager Bill Collins said.

Eight school buses grouped by yellow caution tape blocked access to parking spaces closest to the gym’s entrance, which delayed traffic in and out of the county’s largest voting precinct.

Collins said the spaces were blocked to ensure buses have room to park and take students home when school dismisses at 2:30 p.m. Students initially were to be out of school today, but classes later were scheduled to make up for a day lost in August to Tropical Storm Isaac.

Deputies were expected to direct traffic all day, Collins said.

“I hope it works out OK,” Collins said.

Polls are open until 7 tonight.

Traffic near Vicksburg Junior High School, the largest polling place inside the city, appeared thinner than Culkin. About 120 had voted by 7:25 a.m., poll manager Debra Washington said.

The presidential race brought out the early birds at both precincts.

“I’ll tell you what,” said Mavis Garrard, alongside husband, Willis, who was quick to say she was voting against President Barack Obama at Culkin. “I’ve seen so many ads with women on TV saying how awful he is.”

Maybelle Stevens made it clear which party she supports when she voted at VJHS.

“I’m a Democrat,” Stevens said.

Early turnout was said to be as busy or busier at smaller precincts compared to 2008, when a record number of ballots were cast in Warren County for president and federal offices.

Goodrum precinct had 88 in the first 40 minutes, poll worker Nancy Badeaux said. Vicksburg Auditorium had about 121, poll manager Carla Smith said.

Slow-loading ballot cards and other machine issues were reported at Tingleville, Cedar Grove and Jett in the opening minutes of voting.

“We had about 100 in line when we opened,” Cedar Grove poll manager O.A. Williams said. “The machines slowed us down a little bit. We had problems with two of them, but got them going pretty soon. So far, so good.”

Voters aren’t required to show identification at the polls because the federal government hasn’t decided whether to approve the state’s proposed voter ID law.

Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney headline the ballot for president. Virgil Goode of the Constitution Party, Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party, Jill Stein of the Green Party and Barbara Dale Washer of the Reform Party round out the list. The statewide winner collects six electoral votes for president. At least 270 are needed to win.

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican, is being challenged by Democrat Albert N. Gore Jr., Thomas Cramer of the Constitution Party and Shawn O’Hara of the Reform Party. Wicker won the seat in a 2008 special election. The seat held by U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran comes up for re-election in 2014.

Each of the four U.S. House districts has a race. Warren County is in the 2nd Congressional District, where U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, first elected in 1993, faces Republican Bill Marcy, Cobby Mondale Williams, an independent, and Lajena Williams of the Reform Party.

District 2 School District Trustee Zelmarine Murphy vies for a fifth, six-year term against Alonzo Stevens, former head football coach at Vicksburg High School.

Contested district-level races include those for three of five seats on the Warren County Election Commission and positions on the Mississippi Supreme Court and the state Court of Appeals.

On the commission, District 1 incumbent Petesy Smith faces Jan Whatley, a poll manager in the district. District 4 incumbent John Rundell faces Sara Carlson Dionne, a poll manager in the district. District 5 incumbent Lonnie Wooley faces Gordon Cordes, a retired engineer, and Robert Croisdale, an auto parts supply contractor.

District 2 Commissioner Retha Summers and District 3 Commissioner Elva Smith-Tolliver are unopposed.

For Supreme Court, Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. faces state Rep. Earle Banks for the high court’s District 1, Place 1 slot. The district covers 22 counties in the central state.

Justice Leslie D. King, who represents District 1, Place 2, is unopposed.

In the appeals court race, Judge Ermea J. Russell faces Vicksburg attorney Ceola James. The judgeship covers District 2, Place 2, and is spread over all or part of 24 counties on the state’s western half.

Russell was appointed to the Court of Appeals in 2011 to fill a vacancy created when he promoted King to the Supreme Court. Tuesday’s special election is to fill the final four years of the Appeals Court term King started.