Living up to their billing as liberals, Harvard students registered to vote in Cambridge voted overwhelmingly for Gov. Michael S. Dukakis yesterday in a turnout that poll workers described as very high.

There was little evidence of Vice President Bush's victory in returns from Harvard-dominated precincts in Cambridge.

In three Cambridge precincts composed mostly of Harvard students, the vote was about 80 percent for Dukakis, 20 percent for Vice President George Bush. Other precincts in which Harvard students were registered also posted huge margins for the Massachusetts governor.

Those tallies were higher than predicted for Dukakis. A poll of Harvard students conducted last week showed that 69 percent of undergraduates supported Dukakis, compared to 27 who backed Bush. The poll, conducted by The Crimson from November 3 to 6, had a 6 percent margin of error.

Ward 8, Precinct 3--a voting area of about 95 percent Harvard students that includes Eliot, Kirkland, Lowell, Quincy and Winthrop Houses--went for Dukakis by a margin of 417 votes to 97, roughly 80 percent for the Massachusetts governor.

Another precinct of mostly Harvard students, Ward 6, Precinct 2, tallied more than 85 percent of its votes for the Massachusetts governor. That precinct, which includes Adams, Dunster, Leverett and Mather Houses, is composed of more than 60 percent Harvard undergraduates.

But the district that includes the freshmen Yard dorms had a slightly lower margin of victory for Dukakis--just under 80 percent of Ward 8, Precinct 2 went for the Democratic candidate. The freshmen voters made up about 80 percent of the precinct.

Enthusiastic Voters

"The mood today is very happy because many are first-time voters," said Glenna M. Mariano, a poll worker at Adams House. "One girl said to her friend, `Here I go,' and then plunged into the voting booth."

Mariano, who worked the polls at the School of Design's Gund Hall in 1984, estimated that students turned out yesterday at the same levels as in the last presidential election. "There's been an incredible amount of student participation and enthusaism today," she said.

Other poll workers agreed. "We're breaking records today," said A. George Catavoll, a poll worker at Gund Hall. "There's a lot of interest in local, state and federal elections and the weather was good. We expect a turnout of up to 80 percent, which is fantastic," he said.

Catavoll noted that people seemed determined to cast ballots. "Some find it a duty. For others, they're voting for the first time, or for the first time in a long time. They want to have an impact on the election, on what's going to happen to the Supreme Court, the federal and state budgets, relations with other countries," he said.

"I don't think the campaign has been as negative as Dukakis has been claiming," said Judy L. Boyce '90 of Winthrop House. "I'm really pleased to vote for Bush--I think his tactics have been aboveboard."

"My opinion of George Bush has gone down from its abysmally low levels of last summer. I used to think he was just a fluffball without any positive attributes," said Robert Campbell '90 of Adams House. "I'm deeply depressed today, I think America will regret electing George Bush."

Campell also expressed disappointment over the selection of Sen. Dan Quayle (R-IN) as Bush's running mate. "Picking Dan Quayle--that's like putting the country into the hands of a semi-trained chimpanzee," he said.

Jenny M. Walser '90 of Kirkland House said she registered to vote in Cambridge for two reasons. "I thought it would be embarrassing for Dukakis to lose his home state, so I registered here. Also, it's more convenient to vote here than to get an absentee ballot," she said.

"I'm kind of depressed today. I think Dukakis is going to lose, and that the country will suffer if Bush wins. Dukakis cares about the homeless, etc. I don't think Bush does," Walser said.

Assistant Professor of English Kathryn V. Lindberg, after voting at the Putnam Apartments polls, said she voted for the first time in 12 years yesterday, in order to protest Bush's possible Supreme Court nominees. "I voted because of the Supreme Court," she said. "I felt it was incumbent upon me to vote in this election."

Susan B. Glasser and Tommy J. Wang contributed to this article.