INDIANAPOLIS - Hundreds of Hoosiers made their way to the Marion County Clerk's Office on Saturday for the first weekend of early voting.

County officials said interest is up substantially from the last presidential election.

For Ramona Powell, the decision to vote early was easy.

"One reason is because of the crowds for the voting, and secondly, I wanted to make sure I was able to vote, precluding any health issues or anything," Powell said. "I wanted to make sure I was able to get out and make my vote count."

Marian University student Erica Morris was one of several temporary workers helping eager voters through the process.

"It's been very busy. We've been setting records … about minimum 600 people a day since we started," Morris said.

Officials said the number of early voters is up 18 percent from the last presidential election in 2008.

"Indiana has the earliest closing polls time of any state in the country," said Marion County Clerk Beth White. "6 p.m. is very early, and if you are a single parent or a parent who has children in school or in day care ... this is a good option for you."

Voters in Marion County still have plenty of opportunity to vote early. The clerk's office downtown is the only voting center in the county.

Starting next week, early voting will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Any registered voter can participate by bringing a valid Indiana driver’s license or state-issued identification.

Early voting is also ongoing in other counties. More information is available at the Indiana Voters portal .