After a record number of voters turned out for the first day of early voting in Maryland, DC residents are lining up at voting centers around the city for their first chance to cast in-person ballots.
Currently, wait times range from more than 90 minutes at some voting centers, to less than five minutes at others. On its website, DC’s Board of Elections is providing an updated look at the wait times at the different voting centers in the district.
The covid pandemic has created an election season unlike any other. Speaking at a news conference Monday, according to WTOP, D.C. Department of Health Director LaQuandra S. Nesbitt urged residents to take appropriate covid precautions if they decide to vote in person.
“We want people to know that they should be wearing a mask when they go, and that they should have a plan,” Nesbitt said. “People are going to need to be prepared to be mindful of how they’re keeping 6 feet apart, of how they’re going to be practicing good community hygiene…Having that hand sanitizer on hand, if they need to touch their face or grab a snack while they’re waiting, all of those things are going to be critically important.”
Seniors and people with disabilities are also eligible for curbside voting, in which election workers bring a ballot to the car.
Here’s a look at some scenes from around the city on this first day of early, in-person voting.
From Jose Andres, chef and humanitarian.
#VoteEarly line is already a couple blocks long at @CapitalOneArena in DC! But moving fast…lots of machines here so don’t worry! @WCKitchen will be here with meals all day…about to hand out breakfast sandwiches from @theroostdc! #ChefsForThePolls pic.twitter.com/VGrhodn9vy
— Chef José Andrés 🕊️🥘🍳 (@chefjoseandres) October 27, 2020
From Justin Finch, a reporter at NBC 4.
DC EARLY VOTING BEGINS: Minutes before doors open at the Capital One Arena, the line stretched from the side entrance along 6th St., down the block, and back near the door pic.twitter.com/ctmgld4mCh
— Justin Finch (@justinfinchtv) October 27, 2020
From Melanie Alnwick, anchor, Fox5 DC.
When you #Vote at @CapitalOneArena – you get some pretty cool @WashMystics @Capitals @WashWizards #IVoted stickers! @fox5dc #EarlyVoting pic.twitter.com/ENALn4IRGG
— Melanie Alnwick (@fox5melanie) October 27, 2020
From Alex Daugherty, Miami Herald.
About 200 people in line outside Nats Park for the first day of early voting in DC pic.twitter.com/1t2M3nXyQz
— Alex Daugherty (@alextdaugherty) October 27, 2020
From Sam Ford, ABC 7.
Steady stream of voters at Nats Park on the first day of early voting in DC. It’s one of 32 voting centers open from 8:30 am until 7 pm until Election Day, Nov 3. pic.twitter.com/DZ5hX0gsM4
— Sam Ford (@SamFord7News) October 27, 2020
Luke Mullins is a senior writer at Washingtonian magazine focusing on the people and institutions that control the city’s levers of power. He has written about the Koch Brothers’ attempt to take over The Cato Institute, David Gregory’s ouster as moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press, the collapse of Washington’s Metro system, and the conflict that split apart the founders of Politico.
