SAYBROOK - Ballots from Saybrook came to Bloomington on Tuesday night with a police escort because of flooding.

Election judge Pat Huth asked McLean County sheriff's police for a ride into Bloomington because Illinois 9, like many roads across Central Illinois, was flooded in spots.

"I just didn't want to get washed away into a ditch," she said Tuesday night.

Rain on top of saturated ground and melting snow Tuesday caused flooding in areas throughout Illinois.

National Weather Service radar indicated preliminary rainfall totals ranging from 1.5 inches of rain south of Bloomington-Normal to as little as 0.1 of an inch to the north. Official rain totals were not available late Tuesday night, but the weather service issued flash flood warnings for much of the state.

"Legally, we're bound to get those (ballots) tonight - come heck or high water. In this case, it's high water," said Kathy Michael, a deputy clerk in the McLean County clerk's office, on Tuesday night. "Somebody joked we'd have to send out a boat - but that was just in jest."

Thunderstorms mixed with snow were expected early today in Central Illinois, and that was expected to give way to a moderate snowfall after noon today, the National Weather Service predicted. The high temperature will be near 32 degrees and the low around 21 degrees.

However, parts of Northern Illinois are expected to be hit with a major snowstorm today.

Snowfalls across the state are expected to range from 1 to 2 inches in the Bloomington-Normal and Pontiac areas to about 12 inches in the Rockford area.

Huth said people coming in to vote after work Tuesday told her Illinois 9 had long stretches underwater, and one woman said it was high enough to reach the bottom of the door of her sport utility vehicle.

"People were coming from work late in the afternoon going 30 mph," she said.

Illinois 9's condition did not improve as the rain continued Tuesday night.

Saybrook firefighters and Emergency Management Agency workers pumped floodwater into a tanker truck and then out of a hose down a hill toward the Sangamon River watershed, said Linda Burgess, a member of Saybrook's EMA.

McLean County sheriff's police said there were numerous reports of water on secondary roads late Tuesday, with estimates at two feet deep in some places.

Pontiac, which had widespread flooding early in January, was holding its own Tuesday evening.

"I just went out and took a little ride," said Chris Brock, the city's streets superintendent. He found no flooding.

Pontiac's fire department also reported no flood-related calls Tuesday evening.