Prince William voters brave long lines, drizzle

Election Day started out with long waits in Prince William County as lines of voters queued up early, wrapping around the outside of polling precincts.

The lines at the Prince William County Government Center had subsided by lunchtime as the massive wave of morning voters went to work.

By noon the polling place had registered more than 1,500 votes, adding to the unprecedented voter turnout seen around much of the county.

“A lot of people came early but a lot of people will come late after they get off work,” said poll worker Marsha Davis, of Lake Ridge.

At approximately 12:30 p.m., the Dale City Elementary School precinct was nearly empty. However, up to around 11 a.m., lines were long. Some who went to the polls before work had to wait an hour and a half.

Chief Voting Officer Ray Humenik said this year's turnout has already exceeded the 2004 turnout.

More than 900 of the 2300 registered voters had cast their ballots by lunchtime compared with just 800 total in 2004. "I have never seen it over 40 percent [turnout]," said Humenik, who also worked the 2000 presidential election.

Despite the midday lull, many started lining up hours before the polls opened at 6 a.m.

“When I got here at 4:45 a.m., there were four or five people sitting outside in chairs waiting,” said Corinne Kaiser, precinct chief at the McCoart Building. “The first person in line said she got here at 3:30 a.m. because she wanted to be the first to vote.”

At the Chinn Regional Library, Precinct Chief Hector Dittamo said when he arrived at the poll to start setting up at 3:55 a.m., there were three people camped out in front.

“I was surprised,” Dittamo said. “They were comfortable. They had their chairs and books.”

By 9:30 a.m., about 750 votes had been cast at the Chinn Library.

“That’s more that we’ve had in the past for an entire election,” Dittamo said.

The approximate 200 voters who turned out early at the Woodbridge Senior High School precinct waited about one and a half hours to cast their ballots.

“We’ve been very busy but by 9 a.m., it started to get back to normal,” Mildred Cruz-Fridman said, precinct chief at Woodbridge high.

Throughout the morning hours, the excitement about the election was evident.

At the intersection of the Prince William Parkway and Old Bridge Road, three Barack Obama supporters stood in the median waving “Yes We Can” signs which were greeted with honks of support by many passing motorist.

By about 11:30 a.m., however, Prince William County police were called when the group had grown to six and were flying a kite that reportedly came close to hitting several cars.

The excitement of a presidential race with the first black candidate on the ticket was evident on the faces of Pamela Roundtree and her daughters Kiara, 17, and Kionna, 11.

The girls had big smiles on their faces as they stood on either side of their mother and watched her vote. It was Pamela Roudtree’s first time voting.

“She took a while because she was double-checking to make sure that she did it right,” said Kiara who has been volunteering for the Obama campaign.

As a black family, Kiara said, this election was very important to them. “I will be able to tell my grandkids that I couldn’t vote but I volunteered,” she said.

“He’s going to make history,” Pamela Roundtree said.

Twenty-three-year-old Michael Bouchery also voted for the first time Tuesday. “This is a historic election, an important one,” he said.

It also was a family event for the Bouchery family with parents Donna and Michael, son Michael and 18-year-old daughter Danielle all going together to the McCoart Building to vote. Danielle has been 18 for less than a month. “We’re all in agreement on who we are voting for,” Donna Bouchery said.

Also voting for the first time at Woodbridge Senior High School was a 92-year-old woman who was brought to the poll by her granddaughter.

“She was dressed all in red, with a red hat and a red dress,” Cruz-Fridman said. “She was very excited. She thanked all of us and her granddaughter was taking pictures.”

At the Bethel United Methodist Church on Minnieville Road, the voting was delayed for a short while around 11 a.m. when a man waiting in line to vote had a seizure. The Dale City Fire and Rescue Department was called to the church and took the man out by stretcher.

“He wanted to vote so badly but wasn’t able to,” said Karen Booker, precinct chief.

The paramedics told Booker that he might feel well enough to return later in the day.

“If he comes back, I will put him at the front of the line,” Booker said.

Poll workers said many first time voters slowed lines because they did not bring proper identification with them to vote.

“You need a photo ID, bank statement or you can even use a utility bill,” Republican poll watcher Dave Ross, of Woodbridge said.

Voters can also use a government check or paycheck which shows name and address, or their state issued voter card.

Also slowing voting were at least two malfunctioning machines at Enterprise, where at least two of the electronic voting machines stopped working, said Barbara Thomas, of Dale City.

Poll workers had to reset the time on the machine before it would accept her vote, Thomas said.

The line at Enterprise was wrapped around the sidewalk onto Lindendale Road at Enterprise Elementary and well into the parking lot at Dale City Elementary.

The large volumes of people have made for more cars on local streets, forcing police officers to respond to reported parking violations.

“We are going to be as accommodating as possible to voters today and if there is a problem we do have officers working that will be able to respond,” Officer Erika Hernandez, Prince William police spokeswoman said.

Hernandez did not know how many parking violations officers have been called out for this morning, but so far motorists have been good about not blocking driveways and fire hydrants.

The mood was light in early voting this morning as people exiting the polls were cheered on as they displayed their “I voted” stickers.

“If you stand in line for groceries or a ball game you definitely need to stand in line for something that could possibly help your family and friend for the next four years, possibly eight years,” said Anthony Strouther, of Dale City.

Some first time voters said this election has made them interested in politics and issues like the economy brought them to the polls.

“I never used to think my vote mattered but it’s time for a change” said Tamakia Harris, 31, of Dale City.

The Arlington office worker said the waning economy has forced her to cut back on leisure expenses and forced her to join a car-pool to get to work.

She told her boss yesterday she would be late to work as she casts her vote for the first time.

The polls will close tonight in Virginia tonight at 7 p.m.

Voters are reminded not to wear or display any campaign material inside the polling places.

People with voting concerns are encouraged to contact the state board of elections or the local registrar’s office.