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Residents Complain About Long Wait Times at Polls

Some reported waits as long as two hours to vote

 

Throughout the day, many Middletown residents have complained about long wait periods at the polling stations. Some poll workers reported residents found the ballots confusing to understand.

At Gaudet Middletown School, candidate Linda Finn said residents had to wait over two hours and that many walked out without casting their vote. 

State Senator Louis DiPalma said the problem needs to be addressed.

"It was way too long," said DiPalma.

He said the issue is a combination of a large voter turnout along with the larger precincts with fewer polling stations.   Legislation was passed at the request of the town clerks to increase the size of the precincts.

"We need to revisit that," said DiPalma.

On Facebook, Niko Merritt said that some elderly people had to wait for long periods and she saw some leave the station.

"The worst thing is to disenfranchise voters," said DiPalma.   He said he waited an hour to vote this afternoon.

The wait differed significantly by location.  Nancy Piazza said she did not have a wait at the FOP Lodge this morning, but others reported that Middletown High School was about an hour, throughout the day.

Tell us your experience. Did you vote?  How long was the wait?  Do you think long waits could impact the election results? 

Related Topics: Middletown Election Guide and elections 2012

Paula Visnoski

6:14 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Forest Ave - 4PM - 5-10 min. line.(2 lines - wait time depends on which line your in)

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East side

6:20 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012

That is terrible - a 2 hour wait? This process should be seriously looked into.

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Npt Native

6:48 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Still about an hour wait A-L at Gaudet. M-Z walking right in.

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Kingem

7:40 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Waited two hours at Middletown High: arrived before 5pm, cast our votes at 6:55.

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jeanne murray

9:01 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012

We waited an hour and 25 minutes...please return us to our original place of voting.

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L.Mcmanus

9:20 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012

The line was 200+ long at MHS at 5pm. I only had an hour due to child care issues and did not get to vote:(

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Robin Rosbolt

9:39 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012

waited a little over an hour starting at 10:45 this morning out by noon.

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Julie Barrett

12:47 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Went to polling place twice & couldn't wait long enough to vote. This is a travesty!!! Who is in charge of this??? To whom do we complain???

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Denise Meaney

6:55 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

I waited for 2 hours @ MHS. Due to a disability, i could not stand any longer. The first time i have not voted in 35 years. Although i did meet some wonderful people while waiting!

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Bill

8:53 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Aquidneck School at 1, no line, no waiting. Aquidneck School for my wife at 4:30, a handful of people in line. Strange that there was an odd number on the ballot machine though, given that there were 2 ballots.

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John

9:07 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Two and a quarter hours to vote at Middletown High (arrived at 5:50 pm and voted at 7:05 pm). I watch people give up after nearly two hours or just leave when they saw the line. Very poorly organized with only two points of entry (registration books). A-L moved much quicker than M-Z. Pleanty of room at the ballot booths, but they couldn't process the voters fast enough. IDs were not an issue. Someone finally did a little reorganizing at the table about 6:45 pm and things started moving better. There was great humor among the people waiting and spirits were high, but there was a greeat deal of frustration as well.

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John

9:10 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Two and a quarter hours to vote at Middletown High (arrived at 4:50 pm and voted at 7:05 pm). I watch people give up after nearly two hours or just leave when they saw the line. Very poorly organized with only two points of entry (registration books). A-L moved much quicker than M-Z. Pleanty of room at the ballot booths, but they couldn't process the voters fast enough. IDs were not an issue. Someone finally did a little reorganizing at the table about 6:45 pm and things started moving better. There was great humor among the people waiting and spirits were high, but there was a greeat deal of frustration as well.

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2nd Beach

9:36 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

No line at the FOP in Middletown

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jan

11:15 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

I waited a hour and half at lunch time, husband waited hour and ten after work my mother waited 2hours she went after 430. to long to wait need more people checking names, lots of the times the voting stations were empty.

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Lisa Pritchard

5:49 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Gaudet lot was packed with cars because of a football game- timing of game and voting after work hours was a horrible conflict. After that, it was the one line for names A-L that was five times longer than the M-Z line. I was done voting but had to wait for my husband, who has a different last name. The line that had all the people was being served by one volunteer who was taking a very long time. The other women volunteers for the M-Z voters were sitting back and taking breaks when there were no voters in their line. I would volunteer to help these voter volunteers to expedite the process! We need to get more volunteers serving the voters during such an important election!

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Morris Hirsch

6:39 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Waited almost two hours at Gaudet, and saw some people leave. The problem was not in filling out the ballots, since at any given time about a third of the ballot stations were empty, as people waited on line, waiting to be validated and given a ballot. My guess is that changed ID procedures had not been adequately explained to the poll workers at the table, who often looked unsure of how to proceed. I am not criticizing them; or the ID requirement, but I am criticizing whoever was supposed to train and supervise them.
Also, give all the workers the entire list of names, so people can just get on the shorter line.

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