IRONTON — Tuesday kicked off the first day of early voting for the upcoming Nov. 3 general election.

The casting of no-fault absentee ballots — open to all registered voters in Lawrence County — takes place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays at the Lawrence County Board of Elections office located on the first floor of the county courthouse.

The last day to register for the November General Election is Monday, Oct. 5.

The six-day overlap period was a source of controversy last year when Republicans argued the overlap between the start of early voting and the registration deadline allowed people to sign up and vote the same day which some in the party felt was illegal.

Besides a gaggle of races for city and village councils, township trustees and board of educations, the most contentious battle issue in 2009 is whether to legalize casinos in the state’s four largest cities.

Voters statewide will also decide whether to establish a bipartisan board to set standards for livestock care and whether to authorize $200 million in bonds to fund bonuses for veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf wars.

The bonuses would amount to $100 for every month served up to $1,000.