Haywood County voters set a new record Thursday when the polls opened for one-stop absentee voting.At the two early voting sites, the Haywood County Senior Resources Center and the Canton branch of the Haywood County Public library, more than 1,300 votes were cast on the first day the polls opened.Robert Inman, Haywood County Board of Elections director, said there were 1,346 votes cast.

In the 2010 election, only 492 voters showed up the first day, while 1,132 voters weighed in on the first day of early voting in the 2008 election.

"Please ask your readers to thank and appreciate their poll workers," Inman said. "Without their selfless dedication, elections in this county could not be possible. They work long hours for very little, so a simple thank you is the least any of us can do."