Tens of thousands of Raleigh-Durham area voters (including 37,460 in Wake County alone, according to the News and Observer) have already cast their ballots in this spring's primary election. This past Saturday was the last day of one-stop early voting, but if you weren't among the early birds, it's not too late for you to vote.

Tuesday's primary election is open to all registered voters (unfortunately, on-site voter registration ended on Saturday along with the early voting). Local polling places will be fully staffed and are preparing for a large crowd, which, hopefully, will minimize the need for voters to wait in line an excessively long time.

In any case, it's not a bad idea to budget some extra time if you are planning to vote on Tuesday--many folks who voted this past weekend had to queue up for half and hour or more.

Keep in mind that this primary election is a decisive one for many local and state offices as well as being important in the selection of our next Democratic presidential nominee, so it's a good idea to study a sample ballot for your local election.

So, when you go to vote on Tuesday, go prepared: bring your patience, your sunscreen (in case you have to wait in line outside of your polling place), and a list of candidates that you intend to vote for (the voting process will be quicker if you have a list to refer to). Oh, and don't forget to get yourself one of those little "I voted!" stickers!