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Voters line up to vote
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Tuesday, November 4, 2008 9:57 AM EST
WOODHULL TWP. - More than 70 people stood in a line that snaked through the parking lot at the Woodhull Township Hall just after 7 a.m. this morning.
There were 19 voting booths waiting for them inside.
Voters across the country went to the polls today in one of the most historic elections in American history. Arizona Senator John McCain hopes he can continue four more years of Republican control of the Oval Office, while Illinois Senator Barack Obama aims to become the first black president in the United States.
Shiawassee County resident Amy Ruhstorfer said she typically votes after work because she can walk right into the both and cast her ballot. But she said she didn't mind waiting this morning.
“I think it's great,” she said of the morning rush. “I think it's the first time in a long time where we'll probably have this much response.”
The Associated Press reports Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land expects more than 5 million Michigan residents to vote today - about 70 percent of the about 7.5 million registered voters.
Shiawassee County Clerk Lauri Braid said she expects “a lot,” of the counties 52,832 registered voters to cast ballots today.
Braid said there were 150 people in line at 7 a.m. outside the Caledonia Township Hall waiting to vote.
Voters might experience some delays. Braid said precinct officials are having problems getting to the state's list of all the eligible voters. This may cause delays for people that don't show up on registered voter lists.
Cars lined both sides of Beard Road next to the precinct in Shaftsburg.
Some waiting voters had coffee, others read newspapers and one couple carried a sleeping child with them.
Heavy voter traffic also flooded the Bennington Township Hall on M-52 just after the polls opened this morning.
Teal Mathie said the 40 minutes she waited wasn't as long as she's had to wait in the past. She said when she has voted later in the evening she's wait upwards of an hour.
“I think it's the morning rush,” she said.
The Perry resident said there is a reason so many people want to vote is the election this year.
“I just think people are sick of what's been happening,” Mathie said. “ I think people are taking their votes seriously.”
Be sure to check www.argus-press.com for election results after the polls close tonight. Read Wednesday's edition of The Argus-Press for comprehensive election coverage.
- Contact Dominic Adams at 725-5136 extension 239 or by e-mail at dadamsarguspress@gmail.com. Post comments about this story online at www.argus-press.com.
BigBrother wrote on Nov 4, 2008 9:10 PM: