Tuesday was the first day of early voting in the state, and people all over North Texas headed out to the polls.
Voters at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Allen Event Center and other polling locations across the metroplex shared why they came out.
More than 100 people have come out to vote since 7am. We’ve asked them what brought them to the polls on the first day of early voting and how they’ve prepared to cast their ballot. Stay tuned for more on @keranews. @hadysauce pic.twitter.com/XuF06MlaO3
— Keren Carrión (@kerencarrion8) October 13, 2020
In & Around Dallas
Luther Harris was the first person in line at the American Airlines Center. He said he hasn’t missed an opportunity to vote since 2016 —and nothing, not even a pandemic, could stop him.
“I don’t care care if I get sick just because I went and voted. As long as my voice is heard, I’m happy,” Harris said.
Connie Sutton is a first-time voter. She said this year voting felt necessary.
“Everything that’s happened over the last year — as far as coronavirus and its impact,” Sutton said when discussing why she came out.
Adrian Ray is a minister who lives in Uptown Dallas. He also came out to vote at the American Airlines Center early Tuesday morning.
"I'm more than a minister so I think I lead by example by coming first," Ray said. "Showing everybody else, 'Hey, get out here, come vote. Get it done, then you don't have to worry about it.'"
Marion Marshall came from South Dallas to vote. She's a semi-retired entrepreneur who said it's important to exercise your right to vote.
"For this election, it's important," she said. "All of them are important, so I wanted to be here early. I did not want to be like number 100 down the line. I made a plan, so I could be here."
Further south at Glenn Heights City Hall, just south of downtown Dallas, voters had to wait over an hour in line.
Some of the folks in a 77-minute wait at the @GlennHeightsTX City Hall (town 20 minutes south of downtown Dallas) on Day 1 of #earlyvotingtexas @keranews #TXdecides pic.twitter.com/BbSYaGjJhI
— Rick Holter (@rickholter) October 13, 2020
Fort Worth & Tarrant County
Elections Administrator Heider Garcia said there's already been an early voting hiccup in Tarrant County.
“We had a worker who called us last night around 8 to tell us he tested positive for COVID," he said.
After that positive test, election officials said that poll worker's entire training class had to stay home. That meant one election site in Euless couldn't open this morning.
I talked to Heider Garcia, the Tarrant County elections admin, at the main early voting location in Fort Worth. He said a poll worker called last night saying they tested positive for COVID — so 25 members of that person’s training class had to stay home @keranews #TXDecides pic.twitter.com/wyYn6A03DZ
— Miranda Suarez (@MirandaRSuarez) October 13, 2020
But there was a line out the door at Fort Worth's Northside Community Center, where Joe and Arlene Ponce voted.
The pandemic is a big issue for them. Their son died suddenly in April.
"Every day we cry, every day," Joe Ponce said.
Their son didn't have COVID-19, but the pandemic prevented them from being able to visit him in the hospital.
"It’s really affected a lot of people in a lot of different ways, you know, and it’s really hurtful," Arlene Ponce said. "Something’s gotta change, I’m telling you. Something has got to change."
Allen
At the Allen Event Center, voting lines were long but moved quickly. Masks were worn, hand sanitizer was available but some expressed concerns about social distancing measures.
Diane Rice, a nurse, said she came out for early voting to "make sure my ballot is counted." Rice said she was ready for change and didn't want to leave the election up to chance.
David Humphrey also voted at Allen Event Center. He said the county has been through too much this year.
“Voting is a privilege. It’s an honor," he said. "And this year, it’s a must."
Flower Mound
Brinda Madiruddi, a student at UT-Dallas, stopped by the Community Activity Center in Flower Mound. She said it was her first time voting in a presidential election.
“There’s not one good candidate that I’m super for, but you gotta do the best of what you can do,” she said.
Madiruddi thinks there will be big turnout among young people this year.
Brian Tot said he came out on the first day of early voting because he didn't want President Trump to remain in office. He said when his wife came to vote earlier Tuesday, the line was so long she decided to come back at another time.
Tot said it's good that so many people are voting, but the long lines can make it more difficult.
“It should be as easy as possible," he said. "That’s supposed to be part of the American dream."
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