Voting steady after big morning numbers

At 10:30 a.m. voting is continuing at a brisk pace after an early morning rush that had lines snaking along sidewalks and into parking areas in some places.

Unofficial totals provided by Democratic Deputy Registrar Tracy Beland report that 7,526 voters, or 20.2 percent of Bristol’s 37,169 registered voters, had been to the polls in person.

Some first-hand observations from earlier in the morning include the following:

At 6 a.m., before voting commenced at Mountain View School the line was out the door through the parking lot out onto Beth Ave.

The same was true at Northeast, where the line was out the door, twisting and turning all the way out to Felice Rd.

At 6:15 a.m., the Edgewood School parking lot was filled and cars were parked all Mix St. The line extended out the door through the parking lot along the sidewalk to the Giamatti Center.

At the Bristol Elks Club, the line of voters wound along the front and sides of the building, as well as behind the building along the fence and back into the parking area. (Photo by D. Fortier)

Between 7 and 8 a.m., the line at the Elks Club ran along the building out around back to the parking area, up along the fence by George St. and back into the parking area.

At Greene-Hills, the line ran up the sidewalk around the front of the building. There was no line outside Bristol Eastern High School, but the parking lot was almost half full.

Voters at West Bristol School, socially distanced and wearing masks, wait their turn at the polls this morning. (Photo by J. Krampitz)

At West Bristol the line snaked along the front walk.

Contributing to this report were Jack Krampitz, Rit Carter and David Fortier.