Hampton Roads voters turn out for presidential primaries

 
4:15 p.m.
Kay Owens has been an election official for four or five contests now. Tuesday’s was the second for Cindy James.

They both like the work, which is a good thing because it’s a lonnnnnng day. They were at the Seatack precinct polling place at Mount Olive Baptist Church at 5 a.m. They figured they’d be out by 8 p.m., at the earliest.

By late afternoon they were still going strong.

“If I’ve got my coffee, I’m ready to go,” James said.

- Nancy Young
 
4:15 p.m.
VIRGINIA BEACH - It's nice to have candidates you are actually excited about voting for for a change. That was the consensus at Mount Olive Baptist Church.

Beth Walker came out to vote for Mike Huckabee, Beth Homicz for Ron Paul. Two very different candidates, but the two Beths were drawn by the same basic character traits: integrity.

Carl Johnson and Kendra Bish had not one but two candidates they were excited about, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The defining issue for both: health care reform. In the end Johnson and Bish gave the nod to Obama, but said they'd be happy if Clinton were president too. "Both of them seem to be good leaders," Johnson said.

- Nancy Young
 
3:59 p.m.
 
VIRGINIA BEACH - It’s apparently never too early to campaign – or to confuse voters.

At Rosemont Forest Elementary School, early voters Tuesday walked by signs saying: “Vote Rosemary Wilson; Virginia Beach City Council At Large.”
- Matthew Bowers
 
 
12:45 p.m.
 
CHESAPEAKE - There was a lot of candidate contemplation at the home of the Duffy family Monday night.

Scott Duffy, a 37-year-old advertising sales professional, was choosing between Obama and McCain. His wife, Tammy, a nurse, was deciding between Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

And?

Scott ended up voting for McCain Tuesday, because he liked McCain’s experience and his “history of getting things done.” Still, he admired Obama’s charisma.

“I almost think Obama would be able to bring people together more than McCain,” he said.

Tammy went with Obama after watching his Virginia Beach campaign event on television. She also felt uncomfortable with Clinton’s health care plan.

“I was on the fence,” she said. “I didn’t want to vote for Hillary just because she was a woman.” 
- Mike Saewitz
 
 
12:28 p.m.

CHESAPEAKE – Outside the polling place at Chesapeake Central Library, Wayne Spalding, 50, was handing out literature for Republican Rep. Ron Paul, the dark horse libertarian candidate.

“It’s been steady since 6 a.m. and people like Ron Paul’s message but they question his electability,” Spalding said.

Inside, during a lull in the voting, election workers ate “he-man soup” – a batch of chili cooked up by their colleague, Preston Garner.

As of midday, they said, 417 of the precinct's 2,800 registered voters had turned out.
-Mike Saewitz
 
Noon 
 
SUFFOLK – Naydene Mitchell was among a trickle of voters who stopped by Forest Glen Middle School around noon. The 41-year-old homemaker is married to a Navy warrant officer who’s a Republican. She tends to vote for Democrats. So they agree to disagree.

The Mitchells have two girls, ages 8 and 5. Education and the environment are two of the issues that brought Naydene Mitchell to the polls. She’s also concerned about the war in Iraq, but “there is no easy answer to that,” she said. Her husband has deployed to the Middle East twice.

Today, she voted for Barack Obama.

“I actually like both of the Democratic candidates,” she said. “But I think he’s more of a breath of fresh air. For the country, I think Obama’s going to be a better choice.”
- Hattie Brown Garrow

All day
David Rose, 18, started his push for Obama with a Facebook note Monday night.
“I got a lot of responses before I went to bed,” said Rose, a Maury High senior. “Everyone who is old enough to vote is going to vote.”
He took yesterday off from school to pass out flyers with his brother in the Norview section of Norfolk.
Julian Rose, 21, had driven down from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, where he majors in music performance.
“I’ve always voted absentee. I wanted to be here this time, and see the X show up beside Obama’s name,” he said.
“Everything that is supposed to be Obama’s weakness is what draws me to him,” said Julian. “He’s well-rounded, amazing, intelligent and wise beyond his years and absolutely ready to be president.”
Their mom had been undecided until the three went to the Obama rally in Virginia Beach on Sunday.
“It was the icing on the cake for her and candles and firecrackers for me,” David said.
 
- DeAnne M. Bradley, Link
 
11:30 a.m. 
 NORFOLK - John Merkel, the deputy registrar in Norfolk, said there have been no major problems in Norfolk so far and turnout is brisk.
 
He said the biggest problem is voters requesting a ballot for one party, then realizing the candidate they want to vote for is in the other party. You can only vote in one party's primary.
 
When voters insert their ballot, then ask for a different ballot, it requires voter officials to reset the voting machine.
 
"It's happening all over the city," he said. And slowing things down.
 
The good news, he said, is that the registrar's office is hearing from people it normally would hear from in November -- people who don't know where to vote or whether they are registered. As he spoke, four employees were answering phones nearly nonstop.
 
"It should make things a little smoother in November," he said.
- Harry Minium
 
10:15 a.m.
 
NORFOLK - Surina Butts does most of her own political debating as she drives.
 
 She's felt for a while that the country needs a change. Someone who will put bolstering the economy on the top of the national agenda.
 
 She's worried for her own family as well as the disabled people she transports daily as a driver.
 
 "They are on a fixed income and keep seeing their rents go higher," the Norfolk resident said while voting at Norfolk's Ballentine Place precint.
 
 Her choice today: Obama.
 - Denise Watson Batts
 
6 a.m.
 
NORFOLK - When the doors of Rosemont Middle School opened this morning, about 10 people were outside ready to cast their votes in the presidential primaries.
 
 "It's going to be an important election this year," said Lee Hargrove, who has voted at Rosemont since he was 18. "We know it's going to be a record-breaking year. It's going to be historical."
 
 The 51-year-old said he has a lot of issues of concern, including the war, gas prices and the economy.
 
 "The opportunity to vote means a lot," Hargrove said. "It's an opportunity to speak what's on your mind."
 - Cindy Clayton