Report from the Poll at Arlington Central Library

The Green Miles is working the polls for Arlington Democrats this morning! I'm manning a relatively quiet spot so I thought I'd post these pictures.

The line is gradually getting a bit shorter now (at 8:15am), but at 7:30 this morning, here's what the wait looked like.

The line snaked out the Central Library auditorium, through the back door, down the back steps ...

Past the tennis courts, around the corner ...

Through the parking lot past the baseball diamond ...

And halfway down the block towards Washington Boulevard ...

At times this morning, the line has been up to two hours long. But I haven't heard a single complaint.

Cushiest job of the day -- election monitor. Really? You're worried about voter fraud here? Come on. This is Arlington. We get it done.

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.

Avoid Election Day Lines, Vote In-Person Absentee

Back in 2004, if you got to vote in Arlington on Election Day without having to wait in line for at least half an hour, you were one of the lucky ones. The Green Miles was lucky enough to be at the relatively quiet Lyon Park polling place, but friends in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor who tried to vote either first thing in the morning or after work who waited well over an hour.

The long lines put voters between a rock and a hard place. If you go in the morning and the line is out the door and around the block, do you tell your boss you'll be late? If it's in the evening, do you cancel your evening plans to shiver in line?

Fortunately, you don't have to choose. Arlington County is offering in-person absentee voting at 2100 Clarendon Blvd with extended hours on Thursday and Saturday. You can get all the details in the voter registration office's Arlington County Election 2008 Survival Guide.

I've heard lines can be long on Saturdays as well, but Arlington Young Democrats are hoping to encourage Thursday evening absentee voting with a happy hour this Thursday (Oct. 30) from 5-8pm at King Street Blues in Courthouse. Get voting out of the way early, then enjoy some free appetizers -- sounds like a pretty good deal. (For the record, there are no similar events listed on the Arlington-Falls Church Young Republicans website.)

Vote or Die (Or Vote and Drink)

Tuesday, October 9th is the last day to register to vote in the November 6th general election! You can get more details on the Arlington County Voter Registration page.

While there are no statewide or national races on November's ballot, every member of the Virginia General Assembly is up for re-election. In addition, Arlington County Board Member Walter Tejada is up for re-election and there's a race for outgoing County Board Member Paul Ferguson's open seat.

Then on Election Night, Arlington Community Role Models will be hosting their November Monthly Meetup at Dr. Dremo's! Facebook members can learn more and RSVP here.

Heads Up: Where You Vote May be Changing

From the Sun Gazette:

County Board members on July 7 are slated to adjust the boundaries of four polling precincts and create the county's 50th precinct, in time for the Nov. 6 general election.

According to the Sun Gazette, the precincts affected will be Clarendon, Virginia Square, Aurora Hills, and Crystal City. A new precinct will also be created, called Crystal Plaza.

The rapid growth of the Wilson Boulevard corridor has already changed my polling place once. Right now I vote at Arlington Arts Center, but we'll see if these changes affect me. I'll just have to make sure I look out for my voting card before the election.

While there are no national races on the ballot this fall, every seat in the Virginia General Assembly is up for grabs, so it's a critical election for Virginia's future. Not only that, the chance to re-draw Congressional boundaries comes around again soon. The party wins control of the House of Delegates and Senate will have the upper hand in gerrymandering Congressional districts.

To learn more about registering to vote, visit the Arlington Voter Registration site!