Thursday, February 14, 2013

Hot! Washington Area Polling Places Inundated By Crush Of Voters

At quite a few polling locations within Northern Virginia, collections have been such a long time in which strategy volunteers handed out water bottles, granola discos in addition to coffee to be able to fortify folks for the delay of in excess of several hours.

Although voters waited patiently generally in most locations, quite a few did U-turns, vowing to be able to gain later on in lieu of brave time standing up outside the house inside November chill.

It seemed to be a major mess. I m merely therefore depressed, mainly because I found countless Obama voters leaving, and you also discover how restricted it really is throughout Virginia, said Fred Crouch, a strong Obama marketing volunteer exactly who passed out provisions to help Crystal City voters.

Throughout the day, selection officers noted some other problems: a temporary general shortage associated with provisional ballots in one District polling place , techie glitches inside some Maryland lo cations and some confusion concerning brand-new voter-identification needs inside Virginia. But by far, the best head ache intended for voters was your put it off in order to vote, which in turn selection authorities caused by overpowering curiosity about high-profile contests and also to extended ballots.

Election administrators claimed these were unprepared to the grind as well as tested out to be able to redeploy employees to help polling spots considering the greatest backups. In this District, this midday break down belonging to the one particular digital camera voting machine at Oyster Elementary School in Woodley Park obligated many voters whom have by now anxiously waited for just two working hours to transfer to the backside involving yet another line, having a hang on involving extra in comparison with an hour, plus rather vote by means of paper ballot.

In Maryland, the idea took poll employees more time than usual to help process voters from one Bowie precinct as a consequence of a general shortage with voter obtain cards.

In Fairfax County, a sixth voting machines put in midday with that Skyline precinct acquired little result on the long put it off inside stuffy hallways with the Goodwin House pensionable facility.

Throughout Virginia, there are a number of information associated with misunderstandings concerning the different ID requirements. Some poll individuals obviously could not know that the fresh law would not require a photography ID.

Melinda Schweihs connected with Alexandria said a poll staff member converted straight down her government-issued voter card. Schweihs experienced some sort of photo ID having her, nevertheless she stated in an e-mail of which your lover ended up being troubled for different voters.

How most people is it stressful this specific of, and switching away? the girl wrote.

Alexandria azines elections chief, Tom Parkins, stated in which these conditions were exceptional Tuesday. He stated poll employees needs to have known through coaching this photography recognition hasn't been required.

Just prior to 10:30 p.m., the particular doors to help Prince William County utes Potomac Middle School auditorium shut, with all the previous 30 voters inside line to be able to cast ballots. Annie Sasjous experienced patiently lay regarding three time in addition to 10 seconds that will hired the girl vote regarding Obama.

I have not continued to wait four hours intended for anything traffic, nothing, Sasjous said. People inside tier were saying, Press on, push on.

T. Rees Shapiro, Laura Vozzella, Rosalind S. Helderman plus Lynh Bui fork out for this report.

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