Low Voter Turnout Reported As Polls Close

Updated at 8:45 p.m.: Volunteers at poll stations in North Potomac and Darnestown waited all day for the big rush of voters to turn up. But as polls closed at 8 p.m., volunteers said that rush never came.

"We had about a dozen or so here and there, and that would keep us busy for a few minutes," said Guy Armantrout, chief election judge at Dufief Elementary School polling station. 

At 7:30 p.m., Dufief reported about 23 percent of registered voters in the precinct had voted Tuesday. That does not include people who voted early the week before.

No major incidents were reported in the area, though a voter at Jones Lane Elementary did have a problem when polling officials first told her she was not in the system.

"They didn't have my street address," said Spring Swinehart, a Boyd resident who has voted at this precinct in past elections. "I think they got confused and didn't know what to do. They said someone might have deleted my address and had me fill out a correction."

She said although it took extra time, they were able to find her registration. 

"But can you imagine if I didn't speak the language?" Swinehart said. "It could be discouraging for some people."

For many voters in the area, education and development were top priorities in deciding how to cast their vote.

"My kids went through the schools here, but they're now in college," said Welmoed Sisson. "I want to make sure that the kind of education that they got continues."

Many people said they judged candidates on how they stood on the Science City issue. 

"I hate it," said Bruce Potemkin, a registered Republican voting at the Travilah Elementary School polling station. "They haven't thought this through. It's going to ruin the area. When my second child gets out of school, we're going to get out of the area."

Kimi Yang said she just read up on each candidate in each of his or her mailings. 

"I deliver mail so I look every day. I'm always reading the material," said Yang, a mail delivery person in North Potomac. 

Each polling station will post their individual vote totals on the door once they are totaled.

Updated at 2:38 p.m.: A light stream of voters continued to trickle through poll stations in North Potomac and Darnestown during lunchtime Tuesday. 

No problems have been reported so far at the polls. Esther and Curtis Lyons, registered Democrats, said the voting process went smoothly at the Quince Orchard High School polling station.

"It was very good as usual," Esther Lyons said. "We were going to come out in the morning but we figured why not sleep in, since we knew we wouldn't have to wait in many lines."

Mikhail Chavis said he chose to come during his lunch break to avoid any post work rush. He said he remembered waiting in long lines when he voted in 2008.

"I thought if I came after I got off work it would be too busy," Chavis said. "So I got there [at 1 p.m.], and I was the only one there."

Outside Quince Orchard High School, the candidates often outnumbered the voters. Bruce Stern, one of four running to be the Republican candidate for House of Representatives in Congressional District 8, spoke to citizens as they headed inside to vote.

North Potomac resident Bill Witham, a Republican candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 39, is spending the day talking to voters about his general election campaign. Since only three Republicans are running in District 39, there is no Republican primary race in that district.

"I'm just waiting to see who my challengers are," Witham said.

Six Democrats are running for the three Democratic nominations in District 39.

Montgomery County Councilmember Phil Andrews stopped by to talk to voters and check on his signs. He said he was worried that the wind may have blown them away.

"I'm going to as many as the polling stations as I can get to," Andrews said. "But turnout seems light."

Daniel Russ and Bruce Hendrickson, chief election judges at Quince Orchard, estimated about 220 people had come through by 1 p.m.

"Traffic is light, but that's to be expected," Hendrickson said.

Original post, 9 a.m.:

Voting has begun in North Potomac and Darnestown, but at a precinct known for the highest rates of voter turnout in the northern part of the county, the pace was slow Tuesday morning.

"The only time I've seen interest this low was November 2002," said Ron Wall, precinct captain at Dufief Elementary School polling station, where 2,200 voters are registered.

The 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. hour is usually busy, as many people choose to vote before going to work, but only about 30 had voted there by 8 a.m, said the chief voting operations judge.

Tony Puca, one of six Democrats running for House of Delegates in District 39, and Saqib Ali, a Democratic delegate who is challenging State Senator Nancy King in District 39, were talking to voters as they walked into vote at Dufief Elementary.

"Anybody I talk to I can get a vote, but no one is voting," Puca said.

Ali said he first visited his own voting precinct and would be stopping by the other 28 polling stations in his district later Tuesday.

Alexander Nusinovich, a registered Republican, said he was surprised to see it so quiet this morning.

"The place is almost empty," Nusinovich said.

Voting is usually slower in an off-year election, compared with presidential race years, and even slower in a primary election. 

Lou Welanegz brought his grandson along with him this morning to see how the voting process works.

"I am sitting with him today, so I figured I'd let him see how I vote," Welanegz said.

Before 8 a.m., there were more people campaigning outside the school than voters inside. Deborah Vaughan said she was worried they were getting too close to the poll station entrance.

"They need to respect those signs," Vaughan said. "People have to have freedom of access to the polls." 

Electioneers are allowed 100 feet from the door.  

Inside the polling station, voting judges checked in voters using the electronic voter booklets. Two high school students took advantage of the day off school Tuesday to volunteer. They are responsible for directing voters to the voting booths.

"I just wanted to see how it works," said Catherine Wang, a senior at Wootton High School.

The polls will close at 8 p.m. Registered voters can find their assigned voting precinct at the Maryland State Board of Elections website.