November 5, 2002
Albany - It was smooth sailing for voters in Dougherty County. The new voting system worked well, without any major problems. Even voters who were nervous about using the touch-screen system at first, now say the machines are easy to use.
Voters found themselves at the back of long lines at most Albany polling sites. At times, the lines snaked around the buildings with more than a 30 minute wait to vote.
"I brought a newspaper to read while I waited because I knew the lines would be long," said voter Paul Ryan. Heated races and curiosity about the new machines brought about 50% of registered voters to the polls.
"With the race for Governor and the other important races, I expected a lot of people to come out and vote," said voter Calvin Austin. But, most voters didn't mind the wait. They were more worried about using the new voting machines, a system many had never seen before Tuesday.
"I have to admit I am nervous about using the new machines," said Mary Banyard before casting her ballot. Some voters did face problems. "The card used to activate the machines didn't work," said Ryan."But the poll workers gave me a new card, and it worked perfectly."
Despite these hassles, most voters said the touch-screen system was user friendly. "It wasn't as bad as I expected. It was easy," said Banyard after casting your ballot.
Voter turn-out exceeded expectations in Dougherty County. Statewide, the voter turn-out was expected to be about 54%.
Posted at 7:35PM by kathryn.murchison@walb.com
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