A record number of voters turned out Tuesday for the presidential preference primary election in Limestone County, said Limestone County Probate Judge Mike Davis.

Some 18,880 people voted, which is 46 percent of the county’s 41,097 registered voters, records show.

“That is a record for this election,” Davis said.

Typically, 28 to 32 percent of county voters cast ballots in the presidential primary, which was previously held in June. The state Legislature moved the primary to the first Tuesday in February – Super Tuesday – to coincide with 23 other states. The goal was to give Alabama voters more influence in who is nominated for president.

“It was a lot of interest in this election,” he said. “I think the legislative decision to hold this election in February turned out as successful because of the interest voters statewide showed.”

In complete but unofficial results, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mike Huckabee were the choice of Limestone County voters. However, Democrat Barack Obama captured the most votes statewide and so won the state’s Democratic delegates. Huckabee captured Alabama’s Republican delegates.

In Limestone County, Clinton netted 4,720 of the more than 8,237 votes cast (57 percent) in the Democratic primary compared to Obama’s 3,210 votes (39 percent). Huckabee received 3,980 (38 percent) of the more than 10,547 votes cast in the Republican primary compared to John McCain’s 3,030 votes (29 percent) and Mitt Romney’s 2,891 votes (27 percent).

Provisional ballots were the only votes not counted Tuesday night. They will be counted Feb. 12.

Statewide in the Democratic primary, Obama received 302,684 votes (56 percent) and Clinton received 226,454 votes (42 percent). Clinton received

Statewide in the Republican primary, Huckabee won 230,608 votes (41 percent) to defeat McCain with 210,989 votes (37 percent), Romney with 103,295 votes (18 percent) and Paul with 15,454 votes (3 percent).