Saturday, October 25, 2008

Dallas polling place field report: early voting turnout in Lake Highlands

By John P. Meyer

In an unaccustomed fit of foresight, I decided to take along my shirt pocket camera when I went to the library today (Sat., Oct. 25) to return some overdue books (and go to work on making some additional ones overdue - by now, the library is probably considering naming a wing for me).

I took the camera because I knew the Dallas Public Library's Audelia Road branch was an early voting location, and I figured there might be some people lined up there to provide fodder for a photo feature.

Sure enough: the parking lot was a zoo, and cars were parked on the side street for a solid block; kids hung out in the playground while their parents stood in line to cast their early ballot in the presidential (and legislative, and local initiatives) election.

I've got to say I can't remember this much pre-election day turnout in my many years of living in the neighborhood. Not sure what that means in terms of the outcome, but it's good to see folks putting their ballots where their convictions are.

Photos appended below, including two from Robert T. Hill Middle School (which is on my way back home from the library), where workers were busy erecting some sort of tower. I first took it to be a water tower, but closer inspection of the guts of the thing reveals a bunch of wiring and not enough pipe diameter to accommodate the standpipe purpose.

As I left the library I spoke to a gentleman who had just made it inside the door; he indicated the line was moving fairly quickly, and estimated he'd been waiting for about 20 minutes to that point.

Me: I'm voting on election day. And now I'll have a good book to read while I'm waiting in line.

photos by JM

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