COEUR d'ALENE - Kootenai County won't wait until election night to tackle the growing mountain of absentee ballots.

Clerk Dan English said that as of noon Saturday, the county had received 11,360 absentee ballots. Preparation for handling all those ballots will begin Monday morning.

"It's a matter of physics and timing," he said.

English said that each absentee ballot is contained in two envelopes. With 12,000 or more ballots needing to be opened - 24,000 or more envelopes - starting after the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday would mean a final count would not be possible until Wednesday or perhaps even Thursday.

He said preparations Monday will involve removing ballots from envelopes and weighing the ballots down so they'll pass smoothly through the ballot-counting machine - all performed under strict security and with election watchers from both parties present for all the ballot openings.

English said 13,500 absentee ballots were requested, and with more likely to arrive in Monday's and Tuesday's mail, surpassing 12,000 ballots to process appears likely. English said the county has similarly handled absentee ballots early in previous elections.

Tabulating Tuesday's election results is expected to be a lengthy process, not just because high voter turnout is anticipated, but because two races feature write-in candidates. Write-in Howard Griffiths is challenging Rep. Phil Hart of Athol, and write-in Commissioner Rick Currie is taking on primary election winner Jai Nelson.

English said every write-in ballot will stop the ballot-counting machine and will have to be verified by at least two election workers. Results posted on the county election website Tuesday night will quickly show how many ballots were cast for "write-in" in a particular race, but the actual number of votes going to Currie and Griffiths is likely to be slightly less.

"(The machine) sees the bubble filled in for 'write-in' but not the name," English explained. "It could be a vote for Mickey Mouse."

Mickey Mouse might get quite a few votes, if official estimates are on the mark. Secretary of State Ben Ysursa recently upped his prediction of statewide turnout from the upper 50 percent region to the lower 60s. English said Kootenai County voters usually lag a percentage point or two behind the statewide average, but agreed that with so much interest in this election, Kootenai County could hit the lower 60s as well. In the past two non-presidential general elections, Kootenai County turnout was 58 percent.

Polls will be open Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For the first time, voters will need to show a photo ID.