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Day one looking good in Houston!
From: www.click2houston.com/politics/17759657/detail.html (local NBC affiliate)
Early Voting In Harris County Shatters Record
By Mary Benton
HOUSTON -- A record number of people cast ballots on the first day of early voting, KPRC Local 2 reported Monday.
As of 5:12 p.m. Monday, 38,805 people had voted early, according to Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman. That's an 83 percent increase over 2004.
"There are many factors -- from the first woman potential vice president to an African-American running for president," said Kaufman, "No one will ever say that 2008 in Houston was ho hum."
Harris County braced for the onslaught of voters, opening 36 sites to accommodate voters, which was four more than 2004.
Despite the preparation, there were still isolated problems reported at some polls.
In Acres Home, some potential voters were asked to leave and return later because machines malfunctioned.
Many Houstonians voted early in an effort to beat the anticipated crowds on Nov. 4. But, that was not the case.
Voters at the West Gray Multi-Service Center waited about 30 minutes in the morning.
At the Power Center on South Post Oak, lines were common after some technical problems inside the polling place.
"It took about an hour and a half," voter George John said. "The computer seems to be verifying people very slowly. They've go 26 machines in there, so there are plenty of machines to use. But what we're hearing is many of them aren't working."
The technical problems seemed to be fixed later.
Lines wrapped around Palm Center on Griggs Road, where many senior citizens were determined to be among the first to cast their ballots. It took about an hour, but some said it was worth it.
"I've been voting ever since I could vote," voter Rayner Craft said. "At my age, seeing a person that may become president -- a black person -- of course, it means a lot."
A record number of Harris County residents registered to vote in this election -- more than 97,000 -- and some could have problems when they get to the polls.
The Secretary of State's Office in Austin must verify the applications, using driver's license and partial Social Security numbers before voters are added to lists in each county of qualified voters.
"Right now, we've got 21,000 people on the rolls, but we have to wait to have them tell us it's OK. Part of the problem is clearly that they're behind on their matches with the Social Security Administration, so there are people who will simply have to wait," Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt said.
There is a way for residents to check to see if their application has been approved before they head out to vote.
"If you're worried that you still haven't gotten your voter registration card, you can check your status at www.hcvoter.net and you'll see if your card is there. But you can just bring your driver's license and you're good to go," said Bettencourt.
Voters said there was something new that sped things up.
"They had a new computerized system where they ran your driver's license through quickly if you didn't have your voter's registration card," voter Annie Nance said. "That made it easy."
Voters also said there were more booths than in past years.
About 2 million people in Harris County are eligible to vote. A record 13.5 million Texans are registered to vote.
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