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Thursday, October 30, 2008

Scratch That. Long Lines For Early Voting, Too.

On Tuesday, I said that you could avoid long lines by voting early.

The lesson for What's Up Arlington readers -- never listen to me.

I just tried to vote in-person absentee (4:45pm on Thursday), but watched the line wind past the "30 minutes wait to vote from this point" sign, around the "45 minutes" sign, and beyond the "60 minutes" sign. I gave up and headed to King Street Blues for a Sam Adams Oktoberfest and some BBQ chicken sliders (wicked awesome).

Luckily, my job allows me some flexibility to come in late/leave early to vote, so I can vote on Tuesday. But if you need to vote in-person absentee, give yourself plenty of time and bring your iPod or a book! And for all the details on voting, early or otherwise, check out the Arlington County Election 2008 Survival Guide.

UPDATE: A friend told me that at 6pm, the line was over two hours long.

UPDATE 10/31 at 5:15pm: An Arlington Young Democrat who's waiting in line right now just texted me to say the line has now hit THREE HOURS long.

UPDATE 11/1: Five hours on Saturday.

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9 Comments:

Blogger Eric said...

I keep hearing the lines are crazy. Wow.

9:36 PM

 
Blogger Lisa said...

I went yesterday at 5pm and they said it was taking 1 hour 50 minutes and I said, alright I will come back on Tuesday!

10:24 PM

 
Blogger Eric said...

I figure lines may be long Tuesday, but it will be kind of fun

10:29 PM

 
Blogger Catzmaw said...

Wow, that's crazy. I just came from King Street Blues, back to my office after a couple of glasses of wine. Were you by any chance the guy in the Obama/Biden shirt at the bar? I'm the short gray-haired, um, chunky woman in the green and white woolen blazer, green jersey, and black slacks. I was with another middle aged woman.

Upon leaving King Street Blues I decided to wander curiously through the crowd in line for "early" voting. At 7:55 p.m. there were at least twenty people in the line past the official "90 minutes from here" sign. The lines looked huge to me. Lots of people came equipped with books and magazines, and for a big crowd they were being pretty patient and civil, but what a mob!

12:16 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I went last Saturday. It took one and a half hours. I guess I was lucky.

10:45 AM

 
Blogger Tom said...

Arlington Young Democrats was hosting a happy hour at King Street Blues yesterday hoping to bring out absentee voters. That may have boosted the lines.

I talked to a volunteer outside 2100 Clarendon the other day and they said it's been around a 45 min wait all day, all week.

Luckily I voted absentee the first week they opened and only waited for a couple minutes.

12:53 PM

 
Blogger SharonTB said...

Today absentee voting is open 8-5 pm. Tomorrow it is open 8:30 am - 5 pm.

If you are in line by 5 pm then you get to vote.

For example, last night those who got in by 7 pm voted (at around 9 pm or 9:15 pm).

Kudos to the poll workers to have been working till after midnight many many nights to make this election process successful!

1:04 PM

 
Blogger TheGreenMiles said...

Catzmaw, I was wearing my McCain Get Off My Lawn! shirt :)

5:30 PM

 
Blogger Catzmaw said...

Sorry I missed you. My view was probably obscured by the table full of Arlington's Public Defenders sitting next to my booth.

8:50 PM

 

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