BLOG: Polls close; people await returns

From staff reports
Published: November 4, 2008

Slideshow: Election Day photos

Highlights:

- Precinct chiefs expect record turnout

- Lots of students voting for the first time, but also many veterans of elections

- A few precincts have had problems with electronic voting machines

***

Tonight:

Get election results here

Related:

- Election turnout hit 50 percent by noon in some locations

- At Heritage Elementary, long lines of Liberty students

- Early-morning surge at polls levels off to steady stream

- Local registrars await large turnout

- 5 things to watch for in today’s election

- Liberty buses to make 120 trips to voting precinct

- Voters beware: calls falsely warn of changed polls

- Will you need an umbrella when you vote today? Check the weather here

- Blog: Election Day coverage in the Danville area from The Register and Bee

- Read more continuous coverage from WSLS 10

- Follow Richmond-area election coverage at inRich.com

- Get more national coverage from our Washington bureau

- Check out a map of where the candidates have been in Virginia

- Double-check where you should vote and get more voter information at the State Board of Elections Web site

Are you seeing long lines? Problems at the polls? Things running smoothly?

Let us know how your voting experience went by leaving a comment below.

At about 7:15 p.m., Chuck Lowry pulled into the parking lot at Memorial Christian Church in Lynchburg and learned he was 15 minutes too late to vote.

Lowry, a manager at Applebee’s in Bedford, started work at 5:30 a.m. He left at 6:30 p.m. and was unaware that polls closed at 7 p.m.

“I’m pretty disappointed,“ he said. “I’m conservative, so I wanted to get out and give some support to McCain. Being an African-American, I thought that was pretty important, since we tend to vote Democrat.

“I felt like this was an extremely important election for this country.“

Lowry said his arriving late was especially disheartening because he had told some of his younger employees that they should vote, even though they weren’t planning on it.

“A lot of people worked so that we could do this,“ he said.

-Bryan Gentry

After 13 hours of heavy voting, polls have closed.

With 30 minutes left for voting, 77 percent of voters assigned to vote at Linkhorne Middle already had.

Clifton Potter, precinct chief, said, “That’s amazing. I’ve been a chief or (election) official for 38 years and I’ve never had a total like this. Maybe 65 percent, but never like this. It takes a lot to go from 65 to 77 percent.“

-Bryan Gentry

Election officials in Lynchburg’s Ward II say today has been hectic but positive, with all noting higher-than-usual turnout.

“We had lines so long you couldn’t even see yourself in them,“ said Jackie Hull, assistant precinct chief at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

“It rains every November 4th,“ joked Eyvonne Green, precinct chief at Jubilee Family Center, “but people have been so enthusiastic about this particular election, we’ve had people come in with walkers and wheelchairs, people who are blind.“

R.S. Payne Elementary reported 717 voters as of 6:30 p.m.

The rush of voters at Heritage Elementary School has slowed to a crawl.

More than 3,600 voters have voted there today.

Dan Kennard, a letter carrier, arrived before 6 a.m. and swiftly left after seeing a long line. He came back 12 hours later to cast his ballot.

“This is the first election in a long time where I feel it’s been close,“ Kennard said.

-Alicia Petska and Christa Desrets

There is no line and no wait at Brookville High School.

At almost 6 p.m., that came as a shock to precinct captain Ed Foster.

“I think people thought that if they got there at 6 p.m., they wouldn’t be able to vote, so they came in the morning,“ he said.

More than 2,100 voters had cast ballots by 6 p.m., which is more than two-thirds of those registered there. More than 200 absentee ballots still must be counted.

-Sarah Watson

At R.S. Payne Elementary School, rival electioneers crowded under the same tent for protection against the rain.

Richard Slack, one of the few Republican representatives at the precinct, engaged in a lively political discussion with his Democratic counterparts, who greatly outnumbered him.

“He’s out here talking to people about gay marriage. I asked him to name one gay couple in Lynchburg who was married, and he hasn’t come up with one. He’s missing the point,“ said Garnell Stamps, a local activist.

Slack said he had been enjoying his day at the polls.

“In this precinct, I’m presenting the alternative view,“ he said. “My job is to put the message out there, and it’s up to God to take it and apply it.“

Nearby, Sam D’Eustachio, 5, swung around on a pole, chanting “Vote O-ba-ma, vote O-ba-ma!“

Sam and his sister, Grace, 8, had been electioneering all day with their mother.

Sam described their responsibilities as handing out sample ballots.

“And we also ate some snacks,“ he said, munching a chocolate bar.

The elementary school reported 1,675 voters by 5 p.m.

-Alicia Petska

As of 5:30 p.m., more than 2,000 people had voted at Leesville Road Elementary School.

The day has been so hectic that precinct chief Margaret Vaughan almost forgot to vote.

“I looked down and realized I didn’t have a sticker on,“ she said.

The day started with long waits in the morning and at noon, but by 5 p.m. there was little to no wait.

“This is the highest turnout I’ve ever seen,“ Vaughan said.

As a light rain fell, voters were streaming in by the carload, though what line formed moved quickly because six machines were operating.

The sun went down in Nelson County around 5:30 p.m. today, just as the ‘after-work’ crowd of voters were headed to the polls.
“It’s been pretty steady all day,“ Nelson County Voter Registrar Lisa Wooten said. “The 5 p.m. crowd has hit, and now the phones are ringing off the hook.“
-Sarah Watson

Around 4 p.m., 91-year-old Dorothy Peters of Madison Heights showed up at Grace Baptist Church to cast the first vote of her life.

“Everybody was surprised by my age,“ she said later that evening, laughing.

She never received her driver’s license and had to rely on a family member to take her to the polling precinct, she said. For a long time, she said, she had an “old-fashioned” view that women shouldn’t have leadership roles, but this year she changed her mind due to the excitement of the election and the desire to leave a better world for young people.

She had declined last month to say who she was voting for, and still wouldn’t do so Tuesday. But she said she can live with whoever becomes the next president.

“I can get along with all people,“ Peters said. “I love everybody.“

At St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Lynchburg, officials reported 53 percent just a few minutes before 5:30 p.m., putting it on track to exceed its 2004 election numbers.

The precinct saw 54 percent voter participation in that election.

Hazel West arrived to cast her ballot in the afternoon but was redirected to R.S. Payne Elementary School.

West said it was the second time today she had been directed to another polling place, after visiting the public library earlier, and she expressed frustration.

“I’m not even going to vote, the way I’m feeling now,“ said West, who had to ride the bus to get to the poll and was worried about using the bus to get her daughter to basketball practice tonight.

An election monitor with the Obama campaign offered to arrange a ride for her.

-Justin Faulconer and Alicia Petska

Vehicles line the hillsides outside the Shipman Civic Centerin Nelson County Campaign workers hand out coffee to the small number of voters that are filing into the old building.

Precinct chief Bill Brown said of the 1,800 voters registered in the precinct, 987 had voted so far.

“It’s been very heavy compared to other election years,“ Brown said.
Nelson County Supervisor Joe Dan Johnson has been outside the precinct most of the day directing traffic.
“This is a horrible place from a traffic-control standpoint,“ Brown said.

Though the weather was wet all day, leaving some voters to stand in the rain, Brown didn’t think it deterred anyone from coming out.

At Rustburg Elementary School, about 1,500 people have voted so far, out of roughly 2,600 total.

Officials expect more, but are not sure how many.

“I think everybody came out early and thought they were going to beat the crowd, and they were the crowd,“ said precinct chief Christine Pickett.

In a sea of signs supporting John McCain, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Virgil Goode was one lone sign for Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party candidate.

-Sarah Watson

There’s no line at First Christian Church in Lynchburg.

About 1,030 people have voted here so far.

Precinct chief Kim Blair said the morning rush began with two lines out the door.

Blair expects voting to pick up again between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Tina Bellows, said she voted “for the future of my first-born.“ She expects her first child in March and came to vote on her lunch break.

Things are quiet at the Moose Lodge on Lakeside Drive, with little to no wait for voters. It’s a marked difference from this morning.

“There’s just electricity in the air,” said precinct chief Fred Giles. “Everybody’s very excited. We haven’t had any complaints.”

He said between 2,600 and 2,700 people have already voted and almost 90 percent of them have chosen paper ballots over electronic.

Like Blair, Giles expects traffic to pick up after 4 p.m.

“When 5 o’clock comes, it’s going to be (busy) from 5 until 7.”

-Liz Barry and Casey Gillis

Voters arriving to the Elks Lodge in Lynchburg currently have no wait.

Voter Mike Anderson just arrived. He said he hoped to avoid long lines.

“This part of the day, people are still at work, so I’m not surprised,“ Anderson said.

About 2,400 of the precinct’s 3,800 voters have cast ballots, including absentee ballots.

-Christa Desrets

At the Appomattox County Board of Education building, 851 voters have cast ballots out of 1,700 total registered.

Lines were out the door until noon. It’s quiet now, with another surge expected from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., said precinct captain Vicki Canada.

At the Appomattox Moose Lodge, more than 600 voters have shown up so far. In past elections, 300 for the whole day has been typical, said Nina Beasley, precinct captain.

“We already had more than we ever had,“ Beasley said.

In the parking lot three volunteers with the Appomattox County Democratic Committee - Jesse and Shirl Lewis, and Carol Brandt - were ready with refreshments for voters.

Brandt said she was doing it because “it’s something new.“

Shirl Lewis said, “Everybody has been coming and going real smooth.“

-Sarah Watson

At Linkhorne Middle School there is a steady stream of voters, with some having to wait in line for a moment or two.

Clifton Potter, precinct chief, said about 66 percent of the precinct has voted; about 1,747 people.
He said turnout has been brisk all day, especially when polls opened. Potter said at 6 a.m. about 400 people were outside.

“This is my 10th presidential election and I’ve never seen anything like it,“ he said.

At Lovingston Fire Department, voters are trickling in one and one, crossing the bright blue tiled floor of the fire house to cast their ballots.
“A whole lot more voted now than in the last election I worked,“ precint volunteer Wally Goode said. A moment later, he’s spraying the handle of the building door with grease to keep it from sticking.
Darlene Edinbourgh, chief of the Lovingston precint, said almost half the registered voters have turned out to the poll today.

At the voter registrar’s office in Nelson, the phone is ringing and the workers are busy keeping an eye on the polls.
“I think it’s going very, very well,“ Nelson County registrar Lisa Wooten said. “Everything seems to be working. So far, so good.“
The voting day is half over, and precints are reporting almost half of their voters have already turned out, Wooten said. There are 10,722 registered voters in Nelson County, the most ever. And there are 838 absentee ballots to be counted as well.

About a 30-minute to a 1-hour line awaits voters at Heritage Elementary School, where the line winds from the school’s cafeteria through several hallways.

“Oh my God, this line is never going to end,“ said Liberty University sophomore Valerie Gardner, who rode to the school with several friends.

Poll worker Brett Beasley said the line has been steady all day, with surges in the morning and at lunch. He expects the largest turnout to come after regular work hours.

So far, more than 2,000 of the precinct’s 4,731 registered voters have cast a ballot.

At about 1 p.m., there was a handful of cars in the parking lot at First Presbyterian Church.

That was a far cry from 6 a.m., when polls opened, said Edith Stadler, the precinct chief.

There were as many as 150 people waiting to vote, she said.

Motioning to the church auditorium, Judy Cleland, assistant precinct chief, said, “This whole room was full.“

The precinct has approximately 2,500 registered voters.

Stadler estimated that with absentees included, as many as 1,500 had voted by 1 p.m. She estimated the total would be near 70 percent when polls closed.

Outside, campaign workers for Obama and McCain practiced peaceful co-existence by sharing a tent to stay out of the drizzle.

Tucked away in Stoney Creek is the Nellysford Precinct at the Tuckahoe Preschool . A slight drizzle is coming down on the quiet precinct in the mountains.
“We’ve had a great turnout so far,“ said precint chief John Murphy. Of the 1,800 voters in the precint, 949 had voted as of 12:30 p.m.
Murphy said the only time a line forms is when the poll volunteers try to take a break for lunch. But for now, the polls here are quiet and steady.

1:30 p.m. marked the quietest time so far today at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Forest, Melinda Dellert said.

The assistant precinct chief said lines wrapped around the building for some of the morning. She saw the end of it at 11:30 a.m.

Turnout at noon was just more than 1,600 people.

Just down the road at the Forest Youth Athletic Association, turnout was estimated at 50 percent, a poll worker said at 1:45 p.m.

Caitlin Saloka, president of the Young Democrats Club at Jefferson Forest High School, showed up at 5 a.m. to hand out sample ballots.

She was excited about voting in her first presidential election and said she likes Barack Obama’s chances.

“One of them is going to be president whether I like them or not,“ she said. “I need to pick who is going to do the best job.“

-Christa Desrets, Susan Pugh, Erin McGrath and Justin Faulconer

At Calvary Baptist Church at Concord, poll workers saw 735 voters in the first hour of voting today.

As of 1:30 p.m., they’d seen more than 1,300 voters and expect up to 1,000 more.

The first woman to vote arrived at 4:58 a.m. Most early voters wanted to get it out of the way before work, said precinct chief Don Guthrie.

Poll workers expect voting to surge again this afternoon after work.

“This is the calm before the storm,“ Guthrie said.

Outside the precinct, a lone electioneer handed out sample ballots: Sonya Smith, who has been driving around to precincts around Central Virginia today.

Smith, who lives in Albermarle County, started her day at 4 a.m. and was in Concord until someone else could relieve her.

-Sarah Watson

It was business as usual at Sandusky Middle School, precinct chief Barbara Saunders said.

852 votes have been cast so far, Saunders said.

“We always have good turnout at Sandusky,“ she said inside the school’s lobby.

Inside Sandusky, two creatures greeted voters.

A giant red-white-and-blue papier-mache elephant elephant and an accompanying donkey, made by students, stood in the lobby.

“It’s beautiful,“ Saunders said. “It’s just darling.“

Elon Elementary School has seen more than 1,200 voters, according to precinct chief Michelle Maynard.

Maynard, who said the 2004 presidential election saw about 1,700 voters at Elon, expects the heaviest block to be from 3:30 to 6:30.

“At 6:30, things start to slow down,” Maynard said, “But I don’t expect that tonight.”

Robert Campbell, 26, was voting on his lunch break.

“The way this country’s getting, I figured it was time to put my two cents in,” said Campbell, a first-time voter.

Several Jefferson Forest High School students are handing out sample ballots in front of the Goode Volunteer Rescue Squad.

Senior Ethan Steele said he wished he could vote, but he was two months too young, so this was how he got involved.

“I really want John McCain to win. I’ll do anything to help him out,“ Steele said.

A poll worker said over 1,000 people had turned out at the precinct.

-Annie McCallum, Laura Clark and Justin Faulconer

The precinct at Liberty High School in Bedford County received over 50 percent turnout by 1 p.m., said precinct chief Mary Markham.

She said the precinct usually has a high turnout, but this year has seen an unusual increase in absentee voting.

Doc Oberle was expecting long lines, but was in and out in five minutes. He called it a “painless” process.

-Justin Faulconer

It was quiet at Sheffield Elementary School just before 1 p.m. as voters trickled in to cast their ballots.

Amanda McCoy, precinct chief, said it was a different story when the polls opened.

“They bombarded us at the door at 5:30,“ she said. “There were two lines until 7.“

McCoy said so far 763 people have voted. She has worked with the registrar’s office for almost 20 years.

“This year is the first time people were waiting at the door,“ she said.

Outside, McCain and Obama supporters manned a corner near the polls. They donned pins in support of their candidates and passed out last minute information.

Amherst County voter Henry Martin called The News & Advance at 12:30 p.m. to report that when he tried to vote for Mark Warner for Senate at the Elon precinct early this morning, the electronic voting machine indicated three times that he had voted for Republican Jim Gilmore.

He said a poll worker suggested he try using a pencil instead of his finger, and that also came up as a vote for Gilmore on the first two tries, but on the third try, registered his vote for Mark Warner.

Martin said he had reported the problem to the State Board of Elections.

-Joe Stinnett

At the Lynchburg Public Library, there are more volunteers handing out sample ballots than there are voters.

“Oh, that’s not too bad,“ one voter said, walking into the building and seeing the short line.

Hannah Jacobs, a nursing student at Lynchburg General Hospital, said she came to vote on her lunch break and was surprised that it took only two minutes to check in and cast her vote.

Not all votes are going smoothly, however.

When Madina Johnson came to vote, she learned that she was not registered to vote in this precinct.

Election officials took her to a red phone to call the registrar’s office, and she learned she should be at R.S. Payne Elementary School.

Johnson has voted in presidential elections before. She is looking forward to “very big change for the world. That’s all I’m looking for. Better schools and better health care for seniors.“

Estelle McCain, the precinct chief, said 909 of the 2,116 voters registered at the library have voted.

At Hyland Heights Baptist Church in Campbell County, the polling place is dead, a stark difference from this morning when the line stretched out to English Tavern Road.

Precinct captain Marvin Thompson said that he expects it to get busier around 5:30 p.m.

-Bryan Gentry and Sarah Watson

Just outside the Bedford Area Welcome Center, in sight of the National D-Day Memorial, Pauline Korpantry asked an elderly gentleman around noon if he was a veteran.

He said yes, and she shook his hand before he walked inside to vote.

“I get in that habit when I see folks out there who made sacrifices,“ Korpantry said.

Meanwhile, college students and first-time voters Erin Gilhuly and Tracey Anderson turned out to cast ballots.

They said the election was very important because of issues like college grants and a change in leadership.

About 750 had turned out at that location by noon, which a poll worker said was twice the usual amount.

-Justin Faulconer

As of noon, 50 percent of all registered voters at Altavista Elementary School had voted, precinct chief Mike Danos said.

The precinct has 2,085 registered voters and more than 1,000 have already cast ballots.

There have been lines off and on all day to use the four voting machines, but the longest anyone has waited has been about 15 minutes, Danos said.

“You have longer lines at McDonald’s,“ he said.

Outside the school gym, town council candidates and mayoral candidate Rudy Burgess have been introducing themselves to voters and shaking hands.

Burgess has been camped out in a lawn chair for hours.

Town Council member and candidate Jay Higginbotham has been at the site since 6:20 a.m. and said the stream has voters has slowed since the morning crush.

-Sarah Watson

At Staunton River High School, Randy Surface took time from his vacation to cast a vote just before rain started at 11:15 a.m.

He said his wife called to let him know the lines weren’t long, but he was going to wait regardless.

A poll worker said voter turnout was steady all morning with lines stretching to the gym at 5 a.m.

Voters were divided at Moneta Elementary School a few miles north of Smith Mountain Lake, but by name, not politics.

A line was stretched out the door at 11:45 a.m., but only for last names beginning with letters “A” through “L.“ The other line moved much more quickly.

Mary Munn, of Goodview, said in years of voting at the precinct, she never saw a line outside.

Les Meissel, waited 10 minutes and cast his vote for Barack Obama.

“I feel really good,“ he said. “The end of the fear-mongering is at hand.“

Munn said she just wanted to see the end of the attack ads and late-night political phone messages.

“I’m sick of stopping what I’m doing to answer the phone,“ she said.

-Justin Faulconer

By 11:30 a.m., Pleasantview Elementary School had seen about 275 voters, according to precinct chief Debbie Ramsey.

As one of the smallest precincts in Amherst County, it saw just 100 people all day during the primaries.

“Usually, we have time to crochet, read books, eat,“ said assistant chief officer Ann Chenault.

The flow was steady. There was no wait and one voter walked in the door and exclaimed, “Oh wow! So glad I don’t live in the city.“

-Laura Clark

At Gladys Elementary School, problems with electronic voting machines that wouldn’t start up led poll workers to give paper ballots to some voters.

So far, more than 650 people have voted there, said poll worker Shandra Workman. She said she did not know how many used paper ballots.

“Everything is working fine now,“ Workman said.

As of 10:30 a.m., more than one-third of voters registered at the Elks Lodge on Old Mill Road had voted, said Donald May, precinct chief.

He expects 60 to 70 percent of voters in the precinct to have voted by the time polls close.

-Carrie Sidener

At the Lynchburg Public Library, things are pretty calm, unlike this morning.

Estelle McCain, the precinct chief, said long lines ran outside earlier and voting was nonstop until around 8:30 a.m. or 9 a.m.

“I’ve never seen something like this in this precinct,“ McCain said.

She said there have been a few difficulties with voters who had not properly registered, and a few were turned away.

-Carrie Sidener

At the Heritage Elementary precinct, a Liberty University student was asking voters exiting the polls to answer a questionnaire about eugenics.

The survey was being done for the student’s class assignment.

Examples of its questions were, “Do you think people should be able to choose the sex of their child?“  and “Do you think knowing information about someone’s background has led to more abortions?“

-Ray Reed

Amherst Elementary School may be the busiest polling place in Amherst County this morning, with 300 to 500 voters so far, according to poll workers and police.

-Scott Marshall

Though much was made about Liberty University students registering and voting here, law school student Crystal Lawrence said it was no big deal Tuesday morning at Brookville High School.

Lawrence, of Youngstown, Ohio, also voted here in 2004.

“When I was an undergraduate, I had to send in an absentee ballot,“ she said. “If I’d known how easy it was, I would have voted here then, too.“

Election official Cindy Wynn said 776 people had voted here by around 9 a.m.

-Chris Dumond

So far more than 900 people have voted at Heritage Elementary School.

Shuttle buses carrying LU students have slowed to only carrying a few students per trip.

The line is short and moving fairly briskly.

Several volunteers from Heritage High School are directing voters and providing assistance to people with disabilities. They wear red shirts reading “Need assistance? Ask me.“

Katie Jayberg, one of the volunteers, said she missed being eligible to vote by 24 days.

“I wanted to do something important on Election Day,“ Jayberg said.

Tara Einhorn, another volunteer, said this election marks her first time voting.

“I wanted to be a part of voting today to see what I can learn. It’s an interesting thing to do,“ Einhorn said.

Lynchburg police are standing by at the school to ensure the fire lane remains open.

-Carrie Sidener

In contrast to New London Academy, where there were long lines this morning, the line moved quickly at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, just a few miles up the road. Voters were a smiling bunch.

“It took me about two minutes,“ McCain voter Steve Neal said.

Election official Carole White said 620 voters had been through the school gymnasium by 8 a.m.

“We had people here before 5 a.m.,“ White said.

-Chris Dumond

At the Moose Family Center on Waterlick Road in Campbell County, a line of more than 50 voters stretched out the door at 6:20 a.m.

By 8 a.m., though, the rush had become more of a steady stream and voters were able to cast their ballots within minutes of arriving.

-Caroline Glickman

Fifth District Congressional candidate Tom Perriello stopped by the Starbucks on Timberlake Road early today.

He was buying coffee, not campaigning, workers said, although his aide handed out some literature.

-Joe Stinnett

Heavy voter traffic at the Moose Lodge in Lynchburg has cars are parked along Lakeside Drive from Wyndale Drive to the Country Kitchen.

Cars are also parked in a nearby cemetery entrance.

Police are standing by in case traffic issues arise.

-Carrie Sidener

Some voters are getting grumpy at New London Academy this morning, where the wait is 30 to 40 minutes to vote.

Voter Kathy Pavia said her husband was here earlier in the morning.

“He told me it was crazy and not to come,“ Pavia said.

However, she said she was able to get in and out within 15 minutes after she realized there was a second line whose last names began with letters “M” through “Z.“

Election offical Geraldine Bowles said 427 people had voted by 8 a.m.

-Chris Dumond

At R.S. Payne Elementary School on Floyd St., Delores Fowler, precinct chief, said more than 400 votes have been cast so far.

Earlier, the line went all the way out the door to the sidewalk, but it has shrunk since.

“This is phenomenal,“ Fowler said.

Fowler expects a 90 percent turnout at her precinct.

-Carrie Sidener

At Heritage Elementary School, 539 people have voted.

Election officials, expecting a large crowd, had set up two electronic machines instead of the usual one.

The machines were seldom used, however.

“With the Liberty students, I’d figure everybody would want to do these,“ said poll worker Janice Overman. “But everybody wants a paper ballot.“

It’s been a busy morning for the volunteers, with hour-long waits for voters, but Overman said everything was running smoothly.

“I haven’t seen any hitches,“ she said.

Ward III Lynchburg City Councilman Jeff Helgeson said he plans to spend his day volunteering for the John McCain-Sarah Palin campaign.

Helgeson started his day at the elementary school, where the LU alum said he was proud to see so many of his alma mater’s students.

“They just keep on coming,“ he said. “It’s great. They’re serious, and they want to vote for positive change.“

-Alicia Petska

At Heritage United Methodist Church, at least 500 people have voted so far.

Voting machines malfunctioned at Temperance Elementary School this morning, and an estimated 20 to 50 voters were asked to use paper ballots.

Traffic was heavy on Virginia 778, a country road that typically sees far fewer vehicles.

At Heritage United Methodist Church, about 28 people are in line.

-Scott Marshall and Joe Stinnett

More than 350 people have voted so far at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Clay Street.

The line snakes along Clay Street and wraps around the corner at Church Street.

A member of the local Democratic Committee handed out apples, bananas and oranges to voters in line in case they missed breakfast while waiting.

An attorney for the Barack Obama campaign, who declined to give his name, stood outside watching the voting.

Brenda Reid, a voter, said, “This is the first year I’ve voted. It’s a great thing to do and a very important election, says my daughter. She insisted I come out this year.“

At the Public Service Authority in central Bedford County, 136 people had voted by 7 a.m., poll captain Carl Wells said.

“Everything is running smooth as clockwork,“ Wells said.

Campaign volunteer Erin Dooley, who stood in the drizzle since 5:30 a.m. with Obama’s face painted on her cheek, was the only campaign worker at the poll.

She said she didn’t have a read for how people were voting, but said everyone has been friendly.

-Carrie Sidener and Chris Dumond

At the New Life Church, beside the northbounds lanes of U.S. 29 in Monroe, far fewer voters were present when polls opened at 6 a.m.

“There was about 40,“ said Peter Migner, a poll worker.

Other voters said they had heard on radio call-in shows that lines were long, but they were pleased to see they could vote fairly quickly.

Casting a ballot required only about 30 seconds at the church.

-Scott Marshall

Heritage Elementary School was bursting at the seams with voters when polls opened.

A poll worker said the line began building at 5:30 a.m., and by 7 a.m. it had snaked down long hallways and spilled over into a third.

Vickie Elder, who has voted at this precinct for 21 years, said she had never seen lines like this before.

“You walk right in, vote and go,“ she said while taking her spot at the end of the line this morning.

Elder said she was surprised to see so many Liberty University students. Heritage Elementary is the polling place for students registered under Liberty’s dormitory address.

“I was wondering where all the students came from; that’s what I was wondering,“ Elder said.

-Alicia Petska

The line has shortened considerably at Amelon Elementary. By 6:45 a.m., all voters in line were inside the gymnasium.

Voters said they had never seen so many people lined up at a polling place.

“We aren’t usually here this early,“ said Dreama Frazier, of Madison Heights, who voted with her husband, Randy Frazier. He was voting before he went to work at Central Virginia Training Center.

Political activists handed out sample ballots marked either for Republican or Democratic candidates.

“We live for this,“ said Amy Whitaker, of Madison Heights, who was handing out sample ballots on behalf of the Amherst County Republican Committee.

She said the line was substantially longer than in the 2004 election.

At the Boonsboro Ruritan Club, people stood quietly, sharing umbrellas and greeting neighbor and friends. It took about 30 minutes to get through the line, which was about 20 people deep out the door and about 40 people deep from the door to the registrar’s table.

-Scott Marshall and Mark Bailey

At Bedford Hills Elementary School, typically one of the busiest precincts in the city, about 170 people had voted as of 6:25 a.m.

Another 100 were in line.

Judy Hengerer, the polling place chief there, said additional tables and staff were added to make things run more smoothly.

“We did everything possible to decrease the wait time,“ she said.

-Carrie Sidener

Hundreds of people lined up at polling places around the Lynchburg region as polls opened at 6 a.m.

At the Moose Lodge on Lakeside Drive, for example, more than 100 people stood in line around the side of the building, fighting a light drizzling rain with coats and umbrellas.

At Amelon Elementary School, more than 250 people were in line when the doors opened.

Lines moved briskly, however, once voting began. It took the first man in line at Amelon only four minutes to vote.

The rain is expected to continue for much of the morning, and temperatures should hit the low 60s today.

-Matt Busse and Scott Marshall

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