Early voting numbers in Denton County show residents are following the example set by voters across the state and avoiding the polls.

Through Friday, 1,047 residents had cast ballots.

“There’s not a lot of activity,” said Don Alexander, county elections administrator.

Alexander said statistics on the secretary of state’s Web site show that turnout for Texas’ top 15 counties was a little more than half of 1 percent of the eligible voters, or just less than 44,000 votes.

“I expected it to be bad; there’s just not a lot of things on this ballot that interest people,” Alexander said.

Alexander noted that property tax, eminent domain and veterans issues were on the ballot, along with items such as Denton’s city charter issue regarding term limits for council members, the adoption of Pilot Point’s first city charter and a vacancy on the Lake Dallas City Council.

Turnout may pick up on Wednesday or Thursday, Alexander said. He said the county will be lucky if turnout is anywhere near the 22,000 people who voted in the 2007 election.

Early voting continues through Oct. 30 at 15 polling locations in the county.

Thirty polling locations will be available on Election Day, Nov. 3.

For more information about the 11 state constitutional amendments on the ballot, visit www.sos.state.tx.us/elections. Residents can find polling location information online at www.elections.dentoncounty.com.

BJ LEWIS can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is  blewis@dentonrc.com.