MANCHESTER, N.H. – New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan announced last week that he expected a record 824,000 New Hampshire voters on Election Day, and it looks like that number is feasible if the morning lines in Manchester are any indication.
Across the city, long lines were found at all polling places as residents waiting months to vote finally got their chance. At Saint Joseph Junior High School, the polling place for Ward 7, the line to get inside ballooned into the dozens as voters waited for the polling place to open at 6 a.m.
One of those residents ready to vote was John Major, a registered independent. For Major, perhaps the best things about the arrival of Tuesday is the barrage of political advertisements finally ending.
“It’s obviously been a long slog getting here, now it’s all about the anticipation of seeing what will happen,” he said. “I think we go a little a little overboard (regarding advertisements), but I guess that is just part of the process, it’s just unfortunate there’s so much saturation.”
Major said he generally does not vote straight ticket, but was expecting to cast his vote for Democrats this time around given his dislike of former President Donald Trump’s demeanor and disapproval of those who find his behavior acceptable. Further back in the line, Maureen Martinez also said that she was expecting to vote entirely for Democrats due to concerns about housing costs.
Martinez has voted in Ward 7 for 18 years and she cannot remember a line as long as the one on Tuesday.
“I think we just need to get out and vote, I think everybody needs to really think about what they want and get out and vote for it,” she said.
The line wasn’t entirely filled with Democrats. Ellen LaPerle was also in line and waiting to cast her ballot for Republican candidates, saying that she was not better off than she was before the beginning of the Biden administration. Still, she had nothing but admiration for all of her neighbors, regardless of their political affiliation.
“I think it’s awesome that we’re going to have so many voters coming out and making their choices, whether it’s Democrat or Republican. Just so many people turning out,” she said. “We live very close and there have been years where there has been hardly anybody.”
Similarly long lines formulated for Ward 1 voters at the Webster School. There, Ballot Inspector Peter Letvinchok also said that this year had marked the largest turnout he had ever seen, and the general mood among all voters could be described as jubilant.
“It’s a welcome change from what we’ve been seeing,” he said. “People are actually enjoying themselves.”
Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Joyce Craig and Democratic First Congressional District Candidate Chris Pappas echoed those sentiments and praised the turnout as they both voted shortly before 8 a.m.
“It was really great to see the line and people seemed really excited to vote, and it’s exactly what we want today,” said Craig. “Democracy is on the line in this election and when we’re seeing people turn out to vote, I think they’re saying that we want to protect democracy.”
“I think (voters) are feeling really good about the fact that they’re seeing their friends and neighbors out here, so again I think this makes a statement about Granite Staters and our ability to solve problems and show up when it counts and work together,” said Pappas.
