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Salem voters turn out early, often on Tuesday

By MORGAN AHART 2 min read
Salem voters turned out in force to participate in the General Election Tuesday across the city. Poll workers at several precincts said that they received more voters than usual and that they had begun arriving earlier in the day. Raymond Brandt, left, and Linda Nettles fill out their ballots. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)

SALEM -- Salem residents arrived early and in force to cast their ballots during Tuesday's General Election.

Poll workers at precincts across the city received higher than usual turnouts for in person voting. At city hall, 95 voters from precinct A of the city's Second Ward had already cast their ballot at 10:15 a.m. with a line of voters still queuing to receive their ballot.

By 11 a.m., four and a half hours after polls opened at 6:30 a.m., poll workers at First Friends Church said that 126 voters from precinct B of the city's First Ward had already cast their ballots. City Councilwoman Sara Baer, who served as a poll worker for the precinct, said that voters were lined up waiting outside at 6 a.m. before the polls opened. Laurel Todd said that they had to set up two additional ballot stations to meet the demand.

"We had 15 people in the first 15 minutes. That's an incredible pace for us," Baer said.

Baer said that typically the precinct doesn't reach 120 votes until noon. Baer also said that they'd seen "lots of new faces" who were voting for the first time or casting their ballot in person for the first time.

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