COLUMBUS, OHIO: Voters woke up to unexpectedly warm and sunny weather, “Indian summer” as it’s called around here. That, some took as an omen. Months ago, weather pundits had predicted cold and damp weather. “Political analysts forecast Ohio would remain Republican, let’s hope they are equally wrong,” said an unnamed voter.
Polls opened at 6.30 a.m., but most people had started lining up by 5.30 a.m. The average wait time was one hour. A poll worker (who wished to remain anonymous as poll workers are not allowed to talk to the press) at a local polling booth, which was in a church, said that in her precinct 1,100 voters registered, half had already voted by 9 a.m. “This year surprisingly everyone is in a very patient mood. No one is complaining. I guess they are mentally prepared to wait.”
Big and spacious Masjid Noor was playing host to four precincts. 48,00 voters were registered there. By 2 p.m. only 1,000 people had voted. Most people had stood in line for two hours. They were expecting a big turnout in the evening and the possibility of the polling going on hours after the closing time at 7.30 p.m.
Ben and Charlene both in their 80s had never voted in a mosque before. They were quite impressed by the building. They were really excited about the elections this year. “This year it is about real issues,” Ben said, “I came out especially to vote because I am very much against the war in Iraq. America has no business going to other countries and dictating its terms.” Charlene said that the face of elections had changed in Ohio over the years. “In the past people were not so disrespectful. In this election there has been too much mudslinging. I think they should restrict how much money one is allowed to spend in campaigns.”
In most precincts, voters were given the choice of using paper ballots or voting on touch screen machines. One 84-year-old voter was having problems using the electronic machine, as this was the first time she had even seen one. “But I did not want to vote on paper,” she told Arab News. “They can make paper disappear. I trust computers more. Bush cheated once, we can’t let that happen again.”
Some voters had problems because of discrepancies in information. S. Ali was upset. She was recently divorced and her last name and address had changed. “I have legally changed everything and even re-registered to vote but the election officials did not let me vote. I’ve cast a provisional ballot, which means my vote will be decided upon much later, which is very unfair. Obama needs every vote, it’s a tough fight,” she said, adding that she was given a phone number that she could no earlier than tomorrow ring to find out if her vote was used.
Election results are too early to predict, but the voter mood was upbeat and somewhat cautious. Many did not wear buttons or t-shirts advertising their candidates because a rumor was going around that such people would not be allowed to vote. That turned out to be untrue. Voters were not allowed to display anything to do with a candidate within 100 meters. They were simply told to cover up, not debarred.
