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Daniel Cervantes casts his votes at the Westside Assembly Church on Tuesday. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)
Few problems, high turnout in today's election
Local voters turned out early for Tuesday's historic election, which proceeded smoothly in the local area despite the high number of people voting.
"When we opened, we had 10 people already," said Arne Romstad, a volunteer at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.
At Hutchins Street Square, at least 30 votes stood in line to vote in the morning. Twenty or more voters were waiting at Fire Station 7 in Acampo.
Eileen St. Yves, the supervisor for several area polling stations, said the polling station at Liberty Fire Department also had a line out the door during late morning.
"This is absolutely an historic election," St. Yves said.
Despite the lines of voters waiting to fill out their ballots, lines moved quickly and most polling stations had no crowds or lines.
The biggest problem voters ran into was going to the wrong voting place because the precincts had changed since the last election. In most cases, the out-of-place voters were directed to other precincts down the street.
In Galt, Littleton Community Center was busy, said precinct inspector Marilyn Blansett.
"We've had only two lulls," Blansett said at about 4 p.m. Tuesday. "There are a lot of young people. This is a young people's election."
Voters made their way to the voting booth with a sense of duty. Many had cheat sheets to remind them what to vote for.
At the Galt fire station on Walnut Avenue, there was a steady stream of residents carrying their sample ballots. Voters there waited in line for an average of 15 minutes to cast their ballots. Few complained, though, as the sun set and toddlers played in the driveway.
Lodi resident Sara Heberle, who voted for John McCain, has voted every year.
"I figure it's our privilege to be able to vote," she said.
She also voted against Proposition 8 because, as a teacher for 50 years, she said she had students who knew they were homosexual by the eighth grade.
Starbucks offered free, 12-ounce coffees to anyone who came in to one of the company's locations saying they voted on Tuesday.
A barista at one of the Lodi Starbucks locations said of the people claiming free coffees about four times as many were voting for McCain than Obama.
Throughout Lodi, poll workers were excited about the number of young people who cast their ballots.
"We've had some young people, some first-time voters," said Deb Shook, a volunteer poll worker at Hutchins Street Square. "We do a drum roll."
Among Galt's voters were a man who voted for the first time in more than 30 years and a 29-year-old voting in his first election because he just became an American citizen.
"I haven't voted since I was 19," said Marty Kroll, 54. "I'm tired of the way things are going. We're supposed to be the leader of the free world. We aren't leading anything anymore."
Lodi's high school students also represented the younger generation at local polling places. Many, like Lodi High School senior Vanessa Torrez, 17, was hoping to see even more of her peers at Hutchins Street Square precinct.
"I thought there would be more first-time voters," Torrez said. "Everybody's talking about (the election) at school. I wish I could vote."
The students volunteered from 5:45 a.m. to about 9 p.m. They were as excited about the election and issues as voters, if not more.
"It's not so much getting a day off school, it's getting to be a part of democracy," Lodi High School senior Leah Towns, 17, said. "It's history in the making. We're going to tell our grandchildren we worked the polls."
As she got out of her car with a "peace" sticker and "Obama '08" bumper sticker on her car, the first thing Debbie Goni said was, "I love all the young people helping out at the polls."
Not only did she vote for Barack Obama, she also voted against Proposition 8, the gay marriage issue that has both sides split.
On Turner Road, Natasha Ramirez, 19, voted for the first time. She and her friends from church were excited about voting this year. The issue most important to her was also Proposition 8, which she voted in favor of.
"I believe everyone has equal rights to demonstrate how you feel, but there's a certain point where you have to draw the line," Ramirez said.
Voting with Ramirez was Deanna Olmos, 37, who said she voted for the presidential candidate who supports traditional family values because that's how she wants to raise her children.
"There are a lot of serious things on the ballot that could really change our future," Olmos said.
Contact reporter Lauren Nelson at laurenn@lodinews.com.
News-Sentinel Business Editor Marc Lutz and staff writers Layla Bohm, Jennifer Bonnett and Ross Farrow contributed to this report.
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Mollyfen wrote on Nov 4, 2008 8:09 PM:
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