October 19, 2004
Early voting late
Frustration gripped voters throughout Palm Beach County and across Florida as those who decided to take advantage of the first statewide exercise in early voting were greeted with long lines, malfunctioning machines and few people who could answer their questions.In what many interpreted as a grim harbinger of the Nov. 2 presidential election, some who lined up at the eight early polling locations from Jupiter to Belle Glade to suburban Boca Raton and Delray Beach said their faith in the election system was shaken.
Bruce R. Bennett/The Palm Beach Post
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Walter Pagowski (right) of Greenacres was among the first to cast his ballot Monday morning at the Supervisor of Elections Office on Military Trail in suburban West Palm Beach. At left is M.J. Griesan of West Palm Beach. Early voting continues through Nov. 1.
"We're trying to tell the world that we're a democracy, follow our lead," said Ethel Bornstein, 64, who waited an hour and a half to vote outside the county branch library on West Atlantic Boulevard before giving up. "We're painting a very bad picture to the world, for whatever reason."
Many witnessing what they called mass confusion on the first day of early voting said they are convinced that the stage is set for an ugly repeat of Florida's 2000 election debacle.
Hillsborough County early voting locations.
Other counties, see your local elections office.
Posted by Norwood at October 19, 2004 06:44 AM