At the town hall in Hildebran, people were lined up to vote at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. Walter Helton said he came to the polls frustrated by the school board's decision to oust popular superintendent David Burleson.

"Why we had to get rid of our superintendent -- why we spent all the money to get rid of him," he said.

The controversy over the board’s decision this spring to fire Burleson before the end of his contract upset many parents and caused a number of meetings to erupt into chaos.

Board chair Tracy Norman, who is up for re-election, led the effort then to force Burleson out and voters like Ellen Byrd, who lives in the Salem community, hasn't forgotten.

"Seeing it on the news and in the newspaper, it’s been humiliating to me and for our community," she said.

Nearly seven times as many people voted early compared to the early voting totals during the last school board race in 2007. Election officials said as many as 12,000 to 13,000 people could vote in the race this year.

Steve Starnes has been working in politics in Burke County since 1972 and has never seen a higher turnout for a school board race than this year.

"It is uncanny the number of people coming out and the interest this school board race has generated," he said.

Norman told Eyewitness News she has no regrets about her decisions, and the only thing she would have done differently is to vote Burleson out of office sooner.

Previous Stories: October 28, 2009: School Board Election Draws Early Voters In Burke County September 29, 2009: Burke School Board Likely To Hire New Superintendent September 9, 2009: Burke Co. Board Of Education Explains Reasons Behind Burleson's Resignation September 3, 2009: Judge Rules Burke County School Board Should Get More Money September 2, 2009: Burke County High Schools Could Lose Accreditation August 31, 2009: Burke County School Head Search Comes To Charlotte June 30, 2009: Burke Co. School Board Buys Out Superintendent’s Contract June 16, 2009: Burke County Schools Get More Money Than Budgeted May 22, 2009: Burke County Commission Files Motion Against School Board May 18, 2009: Burke Supt. Announces Legal Action Against Board May 9, 2009: Burke Co. School Board Starting Search For Burleson Replacement May 5, 2009: Board Refuses To Rehire Burke County Superintendent In Stormy Meeting May 4, 2009: Burke County School Board Member Resigns; Community Speaks Monday April 20, 2009: Board Votes To End Burke County Superintendent's Contract April 19, 2009: Hundreds Rally To Support School Superintendent