Turnout at the polls appears to be slow in Murfreesboro today.

City voters have the opportunity to choose three members of the city council and four city school board members.

"The general consensus is it's very slow," said Hooper Penuel, administrator of elections just before noon Tuesday. "But that could pick up later in the afternoon."

As of noon today, 687 voters had cast votes today, Penuel said.

No major problems were reported at any of the polls, which opened at 7 a.m.

Penuel said 4,819 city voters who normally vote at a county precinct were notified in advance of the today's election which nearby city precinct to vote at.

For voters who have moved or had a name change which may not have been updated at the election commission office are being referred to the annex at 426 E. Vine St. to vote. But that location had only seen two voters by 10:30 a.m. this morning.

Voters were trickling into to the Kingwood Heights Church of Christ precinct, roughly five at a time, around 9:30 a.m. There were 15 poll workers and numerous machines available.

Approximately 53,000 voters are registered to vote in today's election. Early voting turnout, including absentee ballots, totaled 2,334.

Asked why turnout was low today, Penuel answered: "I don't think there are any issues. I think people may be satisfied with how things are going."

But he reminded voters that the weather was good. There are 115 poll workers and 109 voting machines at 14 precincts today, and there should be little or no wait to vote.

La Vergne, Smyrna and Eaglevile have changed their charters to move their elections to the general election date in November, but City of Murfreesboro officials elected to keep their election independent of other elections.

"We will hold the elections when the city asks us to," said Penuel. "That is our responsibility and that is our mission."

The cost of the 2006 City of Murfreesboro election was $31,908.19 and the turnout was 6,267 which was about 12.88 percent. (There were 48,672 registered voters at the time.)