Election Day Stories — Morning
So here it is — the day we’ve been arguing over, sweating out and working our butts off for.
Did you vote today? Did you see any voting places on the way into work? Did you spend time greeting voters at a polling place or calling voters? Tell us what you see or hear this morning from your polling place, your GOTV effort or from your workplace in the comments.
We can put this up a couple of times today to capture info and stories from all throughout the day.
nemski writes:
Voted at Aldersgate Church on 202. For the first time ever, I had to wait in line though for only 20 minutes.
Our favorite State Senate candidate was there greeting voters. Apparently he reads our blog. He seems confident, but not overly so.
Heard on the radio that Zogby has Obama at 54 and McCain at 43. The pollster said that they are seeing the Independents and undecideds shore up for Obama.
These long lines , along with the great weather across the country, are great news for the Democrats.
Today is going to be a good day.
Delaware Dem writes:
I got to the East Side Charter School at 6:25 am, and there was already a line waiting to vote of 20 people or more. I thought I was going to be the first one, and I had time to listen to Bill Press and enjoy my coffee, but no.
Voting went smoothly, no problems, although the line to vote kept getting longer. Everyone is going to have to be patient today.
Donviti: I added a picture of Brandywine High School below the fold. There were no lines anywhere I went this morning between 9 and 10 AM in the Brandywine Hundred Area. I was told that it has been busier than normal, but nothing that the area can’t handle….
Tags: 2008 Election, Election Day
I just got back. I have never seen lines like this in my Delaware polling places. I arrived at 6:30, hoping that I would be one of the first (if not the first) in line. Turns out I was around the 200th.
Line moved quickly once the polls opened. Took me 30 mins to get in and out. If this is how it is around the country, I am feeling very good about our chances.
Turnout is insane. I got to the polling place at 6:45 and I waited about 30 minutes to vote after the polling place opened. The lines were all the way to the street when I was done. I’ve never, ever had to wait in line to vote before. And this is in Delaware, which isn’t even a swing state!
One other note, my Obama/Biden sign was stolen last night! I put back out my old sign, which just says Obama ’08. They can steal my sign, but they can’t steal my vote!
I’m going to be phone banking at Biden HQ today. It should be interesting.
The Mrs. reports large turnout at Middletown HS. I’m off now to meet here in Odessa and will report from there.
Hopefully, I’ll see you out there, UI.
My poll is a school and I have never seen it as crowded with cars. Not for concerts, not for Halloween parades, not for open house. It is amazing.
Unfortunately, I’m stuck at work from before polls opened till about 6:30 tonight, so I won’t have an impression until near the end.
Then keep watching this space, we’ll keep you updated.
I got to the East Side Charter School at 6:25 am, and there was already a line waiting to vote of 20 people or more. I thought I was going to be the first one, and I had time to listen to Bill Press and enjoy my coffee, but no.
Voting went smoothly, no problems, although the line to vote kept getting longer. Everyone is going to have to be patient today.
I haven’t voted yet, but I can see the voting location from my front porch. There is a line, and when I asked someone who had just voted, they told me they waited over an hour. First, I have never seen a line from my porch. Second, I have never had to wait longer than 10 minutes to vote. Third, my neighborhood has turned into a giant parking lot!
Another thing I noticed while looking out my window. There are so many children! Not babies, children who could easily have stayed at home. My kids will vote with me. I had told them weeks ago that they could, but figured I wouldn’t be the norm since I have a political obsession problem!
I’ll be voting in about an hour, and report back. Right now I’m taking my coffee out to the porch and will try to conduct my own exit poll! Already had three shout outs – must be my Obama sign!
Hello, all.
I live in SE Wisconsin. I voted a week ago and I can tell you from that day, last Monday, I think, the lines were huge and I had to wait over an hour to vote. I have not had a chance to see the local polling places as of 6PM CST today. I did hear that in Chicago, they were predicting a voter turn out of over 80% and the largest turn out since 1800 something…although, I’m sure our overall population was smaller then and women couldn’t vote and I don’t remember if anyone who wasn’t white could vote yet so that was a rather stupid commentary on the part of the talking heads on the radio.
My polling place is McKean High School. I told my wingnut neighbor I was going to vote at McKean. He brightened and said “You’re going to vote for McCain?”
I think the school name constitutes illegal politicking in the polling place.
Pronounce it McKeen for today only.
My polling place is in the church next the Newark Country Club. I got in line at 6:45. There were about 50 people in line already. Once the polls opened, things moved pretty quickly. I had voted by 7:15. The line wasn’t all that long when I exited. Seems as though they were working down the back log that built up before the doors opened.
I haven’t voted yet, but I can see the voting location from my front porch.
If you were a Republican, that would qualify you to be Election Commissioner.
@anon
LOL
Same story as JG at Newark H.S. in John Kowalko’s fightin’ 25th! My wife and I got there about 10 past 7.00. Perhaps 3 dozen people in the first line and anoth dozen to 15 waiting with signatures cards for one of two booths. That took 20-25 minutes. Only a dozen or so total when we walked out.
I have cast a vote every election since I hacve been 18 and I have never been this excited.
BHO ’08!
I haven’t voted yet, still at work. I vote at the DelDot place on Rt 7, anyone know how it is there?
leaving to vote now over at the Mary Cambell Center on Weldin and Shipley Road.
I was out delivering coffee to poll workers. There were extremely (100-200 people) long lines at several polling places in the 9th RD. If turnout is way up in the 9th, that bodes well for a Walker upset of Cathcart.
Voted at Mt. Pleasant Elementary! Arrived at 7:30 and just got back at 9:00am. There are two election districts in there. Its gonna be a bumpy day, headed to PS dupont to support Karen Hartley Nagle for Congress.
The woman in line in back of me, didnt know who she was voting for…was a confused Catholic. She said, I will know when the names are in front of me. Get out the vote! Lets make history.
I’m Catholic, and sometimes confused, but I know who I’m voting for. Drove by the Captain’s Deck on Gov. Printz at 8:15 this morning, and there were about 50-60 people in line. I have voted there for years and never seen it that long. I was on my way to work, so I’ll try back later. That perhaps is the worst voting location in the state. There is no room inside, and if there are more than 3 people waiting to vote, they are at the mercy of the weather. Plus, there is no parking. Today, people were parked along both sides of Gov. Printz.
Pulled up at Hockessin PAL to vote. It’s my first presidential election cause I’m 20. Saw two African Americans standing there handing out papers and thought, “Oh SNAP, I’m not going through this.” There they stood with a triple picture button “McCain/Palin/O’Donnell” and their flyer was reminding us that we are voting for a question mark if we voted for Senator Biden as RAM would be appointing the next senator if Biden is VP. I just wanted to smack myself for being “all assuming” today… Yeah, I voted McCain and I voted the full slate R today. I walked away today having learned a huge lesson about “assumptions.” Mea Culpa..
what they hell is wrong with you people? if you vote at 7 or 10 or 2 or 5 your vote is the same. why run out with all the other loons to be the first one there. go at 10:30 or 2:15. Jeez, its not like if you get there before 7:15 your vote counts twice.
arthur, some of us have to work for a living .
Arthur…
I vote early for one simple reason: you never know what the day may bring. I might be killed on the way to or from work. I might be killed at work. I might be delayed at work past the poll closing time. My car might break down, stranding me in Philly. I might be abducted by aliens.
Further, if there are any problems at the polls with my registration or what have you, it is early enough in the day to have it fixed by the end of the day if need be.
So I always vote early. Always.
I voted at the Nur Temple near the 13/40 split – got there about 8:35.
This was the first time since I’ve been voting there that they actually had the machines set up in the main hall where they have the train shows and things (machines are normally in a much smaller back room accessible from the side door of the building).
There are multiple districts at the site – my district (Rep district 17) had barely any line but whatever the other district is had a line all the way through the hall, out the door, and halfway around the side of the building. I’ve never seen anything like it at this polling place. Thankfully there were volunteers going through the line and asking what district people lived in to make sure that they were in the right place. And it’s a good thing too, because otherwise I would have been there way longer than was necessary.
So – note to anyone out there who also votes at Nur Temple (or anywhere else where there are multiple districts at one polling place) – there may be multiple lines, make sure you’re in the correct line. If you don’t know what district you’re in then either fish out your polling place card or go to http://pollingplace.delaware.gov to be sure. Don’t screw yourself over by waiting in line for an hour for the wrong set of machines!
I was at DelCastle to vote. 10 minute wait, but one poll worker told me that line was much longer earlier.
Townsend Fire Hall was 50 deep at 6:20 this morning! I was at Dover High School from the start, 300 deep, line wrapped around the school, and snaked in the school once you got inside. Darryl Scott has been here from the get go. Hutchison showed up around 8:15. Tom Wagner has been here most of the time. Bushweiler just showed up around 9am w/ his kids. Pouring rain since 8:45!!! Nobody’s leaving though!! Yea!!
just returned from doing a little canvassing around North Wilmington/Brandywine hundred area and there is some activity but no lines.
Lombardy, Shipley Manor, Brandywine Hundred Library, Brandywine High School, Mary Cambell Center have no lines.
I talked to an election volunteer and they said it has been busier than normal….
Does anyone know how it is at the DelDot on Rt 7? Are there lines there?
Hi Everybody!
Have heard reports that there have been very long lines all over the City which have largely abated. Everyone I have spoken to says it took them 30 – 40 minutes to vote.
One of our volunteers from Red Lion said that there were more than 150 people in line just before 7AM and there were more than 150 people in ine when he left about 40 minutes or so after he voted.
Out here in the 22nd (Pike Creek/Hockessin) we had huge lines at North Star and Linden Hill at 7:00am. People parked along the roads because they couldn’t get into the parking lots at either school.
By 8:00 I was over at Ebenezer Methodist and then Mill Creek Unitarian. The lots were full but people seemed to be processing through pretty quickly.
Then I went by Evangelical Presbyterian but it was pretty quiet by 8:30, there’s only one ED that votes there. Our greeter said it had been very busy earlier.
I went back to Linden Hill where 4 ED’s vote and by 8:50 the line had finally moved inside. For the next hour people kept coming in waves but seemed to be in and out pretty quickly.
When I got back to North Star at 10:00 there weren’t any lines and I got to vote for me. That’s a real trip. Ya gotta try it folks.
A couple quick observations:
The R’s win the sign battle at the polling places– they always do out here. But signs don’t vote.
The D’s are the hands down winners on the greeters front. We’ve got mobs of volunteers at the polls and they look really good in tee-shirts and stickers and so cheerful.
The D voters are all cheerful too!
The R’s are slinking by while Limbaugh and Hannity are playing in their heads.
Paul K… the line was at 400 at open… By 10 there were no lines at Rt. 7.
Other news… Biden’s plane took off . Perhaps that is the last we see of him for a while… His vote at Tatnall is all over TV…
Cassandra: does anyone have Obama stickers, the big ones? Since Copeland operatives are the ones stealing Obama signs, (Dave Jones, we know it’s you)… What if we just slapped a big Obama sticker on all the Copeland signs…
They’re worthless after today anyway…..
I was a greeter for Mike Katz from 7-10am at Lombardy Elementary, off Foulk Rd. For those who were there at 7 a.m., the line was 45 mins. -1 hour long. Then it settled down.
I stood for the whole time standing next to Clatworthy’s campaign manager and we talked the whole time. Turns out he is as far right as I am far left, and we didn’t argue. (He still thinks Bush did a good job.) We had a nice conversation, and I can tell you that it is possible to treat “the other side” like civilized human beings. I told him we should start a group called “Talk to each other.”
He was a real nice young man (also ran Ferris Wharton’s campaign). I didn’t tell him “Good luck” when I left, though.
Went to vote this morning @7:00. There were cars for nearly a mile outside polling place and for blocks in every direction. Crowd was enormous. At least 300 people on line. I left and went back later. Only 30 or so then.
Blades Fire Hall, in and out in 20 minutes. It had been steady all day, said the man working the booth while I waited in line. I only voted for two Republicans, Dan Short and Mike Vincent. My rep and county council district.
I never voted for so many democrats. Ever.
I am still in shock.
The missus, who hates politics, voted for Obama and left everything else blank.
Stanton M.S. , 8am. The place was empty. Just me and another gentlemen.
I voted at First Presbyterian in Newark in the 23rd Rep Dist about 7:15 am and there was a line,but the election dept staff did a great job moving voters through. I was out in less than 15 minutes.
I later was at Hodgson Vo-Tech in Glasgow in the 27th Rep Dist as a greeter for almost 2 hours and there was not a line,but there was a steady nonstop flow of voters.
I spent about a half hour at McVey School in the 25th Rep Dist and there was the same steady flow of voters.
Each of these polling places was busy enough that there were few parking places available. You could get a parking space, but with a longer walk than usual.
Voted and back from Townsend Early Childhood Center. No line-walked right up. This is a new school, nestled in a tiny development. Only used before for the primary this year to vote. I’m sure many are still confused, and are appearing at the firehouse, or the elementary school in error. All new faces as poll workers, instead of the familiar diehards we all recognize!
Thanks Kavips for the info
Voted at Keane Elementary off of Rte. 40 around 10:30 a.m. One person in line in front of me. There was definitely a steady stream of people just no lines or waiting. I guess everyone knew on the way in who they were voting for. I voted a straight R ticket (first time ever) and did not vote for those running unopposed.
One complaint — no “I voted today” stickers! WTF? Do you think they ran out by 10:30????
No, Nosy, I was there bright and early (at a different polling place), and I didn’t get a sticker.
Here is what I want to know. We know that Castle got hundreds of thousands of dollars from financial services industry. He had one and half million in the primary and still got more for the general. Where did he spend all that money? WDEL, WILM, TV ads etc. Is it any wonder that the media that got all that money are outwardly supporting him, and vocally on election day. To listen to WDEL calling on citizens to vote for Castle and Brady should send a message to all democrats. WDEL is a republican station attempting to “protect” that money they got from Castle to convince as many people to vote for them. Its obvious that Castle is terrified of the straight democratic voters since that mean he is dumped by Delaware. I purposely listened to WDEL today to see how they would play it…as I expected every caller that challenged Jenson re: Castle…Rick was at the ready to “blame the financial problems on Obama and Biden and Barney Frank” and quickly shut down the conversation. I can’t wait for this election to be over so I can turn WDEL off permanently and go to DelawareTalkRadio to hear people with some sanity, clarity and truth.
Some of us can’t buy a car or have enough money to buy a gallon of gas or anything like it people.I know i can’t.