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2004 US Presidential Election
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November 02, 2004
Virginia | Large early turnout observed in Richmond

There were more than 100 people waiting for the doors to open this morning at the local polling place. I came back at 7:00 and waited one hour to vote, which is the longest I’ve ever had to wait in this precinct. My suggestion to any Richmond area voters is to vote from 9-12 or 2-4. All signs point to a long wait for people voting after work this year.

Update: A record turnout is expected across the entire state this year, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch. Excerpt:

A record turnout of more than 3.3 million voters is expected in Virginia during the 13-hour voting pe- riod. The 2,296 voting precincts open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

Unseasonably warm weather, with highs in the 70s to 80s under partly sunny skies, was forecast for most of the state, giving voters little excuse to stay home.blockquote>

Posted by Matthew Bryson at November 2, 2004 09:16 AM | TrackBack
Comments

At my precinct in western Henrico County (suburban Richmond), the election officials said the line had been really bad for the first hour, then slacked off a bit. It was starting to pick up again around 9 AM when I voted — probably about a 10-minute wait.

Posted by: Josh Crockett [TypeKey Profile Page] at November 2, 2004 10:18 AM

I voted at about 10 AM in Spotsylvania County. I was in and out of the polling place in 5 minutes. The counter on the ballot box showed that my ballot was the 891st cast. We voted with #2 pencils.

Posted by: Chris [TypeKey Profile Page] at November 2, 2004 10:26 AM

My Chesterfield County precinct was packed early, but moved smoothly. Forty-five minutes was the average wait. Some of my co-workers reported two hour waits this morning for precincts in the city. Mood seems pretty bouyant. I think everyone is ready to get this thing over with.

Posted by: spd rdr [TypeKey Profile Page] at November 2, 2004 11:45 AM

I’m long since ready for this to end. Regardless of who wins, I hope that the margin is large enough that it cannot be overturned by the lawyers.

Posted by: physics geek [TypeKey Profile Page] at November 2, 2004 02:24 PM

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