{"id":4267,"date":"2020-10-15T14:06:08","date_gmt":"2020-10-15T14:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/?p=4267"},"modified":"2023-03-27T15:52:12","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T15:52:12","slug":"early-voting-starts-with-long-lines-passionate-voters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2020\/10\/15\/early-voting-starts-with-long-lines-passionate-voters\/","title":{"rendered":"Early voting starts with long lines, passionate voters"},"content":{"rendered":"

This story will be updated throughout the day.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Thousands of Durham residents mobilized for the first day of early voting on Thursday, eager to cast their ballots in what some said is the most important election in their lifetime.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They began lining up long before the polls opened at 8 a.m., warmed in the morning chill by adrenaline and their face masks. By noon, four of the 14 Durham polls reported wait times of at least two hours. But things lightened up in the afternoon and the average wait time at nine of the county sites was 30 minutes or less.<\/span><\/p>\n

More than 80 voters lined up by 8 a.m. at the Karsh Alumni and Visitor\u2019s Center at Duke, many wearing Biden-Harris hats. Some were just eager to feel the satisfaction of voting. Others said this day felt like it couldn\u2019t come fast enough.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been waiting to vote for four years,\u201d said Priscilla Wald, a Duke English professor who arrived at the university\u2019s early voting site at 7 a.m. She and former Duke professor Julie Tetel Andresen went to the polling place at the Durham County Main Library first, but by 6:45 a.m., the site had already amassed a crowd of more than 30 voters.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure our vote counts and we get this guy out of office,\u201d Wald said. \u201cThere is no question that this is the most important election of my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When the doors opened at 8 a.m., the line erupted in cheers.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a swing state, North Carolina plays an outsized role in the election. Andresen hopes the predicted increase in turnout among young voters will help elect Joe Biden, who she thinks will bring fresh leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so tired of these old farts in Washington running things,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m ready for the next generation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Several voters said they considered voting absentee by mail, but wanted the gratification of casting their ballot in person.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I\u2019m satisfying my civic responsibility by being here,\u201d said Ron Stubbs, a retired Duke employee. In big black letters, his mask read, \u201cSCIENCE.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the first year that Duke has held its early voting site at the new Karsh alumni center. The building, with tall ceilings and plenty of parking, is an ideal polling place during a pandemic, said Erin Kramer, Duke executive director of media and public affairs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to encourage as many people to come and to get them through as quickly as possible, but we also need to make sure it\u2019s a safe experience for everyone,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Outside each polling place, the ground is marked with tape to direct voters to stand six feet apart. All poll workers are required to wear masks, and can provide masks to voters who don\u2019t bring their own. Hand sanitizer stations and frequent wipe-downs of the ballot booths will ensure each site is clean and safe for a high volume of voters.<\/span><\/p>\n

Karsh wasn\u2019t the only early voting site with a long line when the polls opened at 8 a.m. The line at the Durham County Main Library wrapped through the parking lot, boasting well over 100 voters. Just a few blocks away, nearly 70 voters waited outside the Criminal Justice Resource Center.<\/span><\/p>\n

Voting tips<\/b><\/p>\n

The North Carolina State Board of Elections created an <\/span>early voting site locator<\/span><\/a> with live wait times so voters can anticipate the lines at polling places across the county. Durham has 14 early voting sites, and voters may visit any one of the sites to cast their ballot.<\/span><\/p>\n

For voters experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, as well as disabled voters, each polling site also offers curbside service so voters may fill out their ballots from the safety of their vehicle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Early voting in North Carolina runs Oct. 15-31. Find the hours of operation for each polling site <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

At top, voters lined up Thursday outside the Durham Main Library. Photo by Henry Haggart | The 9th Street Journal<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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