Polls open this morning at 7 for area residents to vote in various citywide elections.

But the procedure for today’s election won’t be the same as last November when voters were choosing a president or their county commissioners.

It is likely that many residents of Hall’s cities will not go to the same polling place today as they do in most elections. Gainesville will have three voting precincts open.

Other cities in Hall will only have one.

Gainesville residents wishing to vote for city school board candidates to represent Wards 1 and 4 and to cast their ballot in two citywide referendums to decide whether they want an elected mayor or an elected school board chairman will vote according to their ward today.

Residents of Wards 1 and 2 will vote at the Gainesville Civic Center; residents of Ward 3 will vote at the Fair Street Neighborhood Center and residents of Wards 4 and 5 can cast their ballots at the Georgia Mountains Center, said Interim Director of Hall County Elections Charlotte Sosebee.

"Those are the precincts for the city of Gainesville elections, so that’s not anything new for the city of Gainesville," said Gainesville City Clerk Denise Jordan.

Other cities with municipal elections, like Lula, which has a contested race for one City Council post and the mayor’s race, and Flowery Branch will open up for voting at City Hall.

Clermont residents will be able to choose their City Council candidates at Town Hall on Dean Street.

Because elections officials predict that voter turnout will be low for this election, fewer voting machines will be at each voting precinct than in countywide and statewide elections, Sosebee said.

Sosebee is predicting that about 15 percent of Gainesville’s eligible voters will turn out for today’s election.

Only 250 people voted in the city election by the close of the early voting period on Friday. Each Gainesville precinct will have three touch-screen voting units. Flowery Branch, which has three contested races for three City Council seats will have four machines for voters to use at City Hall today, said City Clerk Melissa McCain.

Voting for all elections begins at 7 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m.

Municipal elections also are being held in towns and cities across the state.