More than 50,000 Durham County residents have already made their voices heard this election season. When traditional Election Day voting begins today, many more will certainly join their fellow citizens and cast their ballots, likely making this the largest voter turnout in county history.
The number of Durham County voters who opted to submit their decisions before Election Day is up more than 400 percent from the 2000 election and 800 percent from the 2002 election. Even with all of the residents who chose to submit their ballots by the Sunday night early-voting deadline, officials expect between 60,000 and 70,000 voters to appear at the polls today.
“It was wonderful, smooth—couldn’t have been any better,” said Mike Ashe, Durham County elections director. “For 17 straight days we opened every day with the right people, equipment and supplies. It was a huge effort. It doesn’t just happen.... There were people in line at seven every night.”
Although large early voter turnout will likely help alleviate lines at the polls today, Ashe maintains there will still be quite a crowd, based on the numbers of registered voters in Durham County.
“I expect it to be huge,” Ashe said. “I expect lines at the polls. Even with all these people voting early there are still a whole bunch that are coming tomorrow. I expect... more than we have ever voted in Durham.”
Ashe said he expects lines to start forming well before the polls open at 6:30 a.m. and noted that voting in Durham may not end until close to 9 p.m. because of the expected turnout.
“Every precinct must be at work before 6 a.m., and that includes staff at main office,” Ashe said. “What time will I get home in the morning? I’m hoping three, two in the morning—it’s a long day for us. It will certainly be well past midnight.”
Many Duke students and staff took advantage of early voting and are resting easy knowing they will be counted.
“It wasn’t that bad,” freshman Rachel Brown said, “I thought it would be worse—it was relatively easy.”
Although many students took the opportunity to vote early, not everyone was satisfied with the way in which county officials carried the procedures out.
“It was a fine process, but I didn’t have a booth—there was a table that we just sat at,” senior Michaela Kerrissey said of her voting experience. “Anyone could look at what you were putting down. It was sort of a madhouse—much sketchier than I would have thought.”
Others are still excited about getting out to the polls today and performing their civic duty.
“I live one block from Hillside [High School], and on Friday I went by there and the line was just... so long,” Durham resident Sue Hemingway said. “People were on crutches and in wheelchairs... and when I saw the line I just couldn’t stand there. But I will definitely be there [today.] I got to.”
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