Long waits and even longer faces caused tensions to rise among many Maricopa County residents wanting to cast their vote a few days before the Nov. 2 presidential election.
Lost papers and poor directions created long waits and irritated voters.
"I got here at 10:42 [a.m.], and it's now 12:35," said Tempe resident and Mesa Community College sophomore Jenny Giroux. "I only came because I didn't have time to vote on any other day."
Giroux and other Maricopa County residents wanting to vote early at the Tempe Public Library had to provide identification and fill out an information sheet with their name and address, which determined the order in which they would vote.
Giroux said Maricopa County elections workers lost her information sheet, causing her to lose her place in the line of voters.
"It's horrible," she said. "People who were waiting behind me have already voted."
Phoenix resident Caroline Robertson experienced the same problem and said workers were doing nothing to fix it.
"They aren't trying to fix the problem, and they keep losing [our place in the line]," Robertson said.
Maricopa County spokeswoman Yvonne Reed said the elections office sent additional personnel to deal with the high volume of voters at the Tempe location.
Reed said more than 1,500 residents voted at the Tempe location since it began on Oct. 5. Those still wanting to cast their vote before Nov. 2 may do so today until 6 p.m.
But some people, like first-time voter and journalism freshman Danielle Watkins, found the early voting process convenient.
"I didn't want to wait in long lines on Election Day," Watkins said. "It's easier to get it done earlier."
The early voting program, which began in 1998, allows county residents to cast their vote early by either mail-in ballot or walk-in at one of the 11 satellite locations throughout the county.
"People said, 'I'd like to vote early,' so the recorder established the program to be convenient for voters," Reed said.
Reed said about 10,000 voters use the satellite locations, and this is the first year the county has received more than half a million early ballot requests. Additionally, the election officials expect about 65 percent of all votes cast to be in early-ballot form.
"There is higher interest in [the program] because the ballot is getting longer, and people don't want to stand in line," she said. "They like the convenience."
Tempe Public Library held early voting for a presidential election for the first time.
Some who turned out do not plan on using the system again.
"If it weren't so important, I wouldn't vote," Robertson said. "I would never, ever go through this again."
Reach the reporter at jenna.eckenrode@asu.edu.
