Early Voters Find Themselves In Blocks-Long Lines In LA County

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) —  Early weekend voting began in LA County Saturday and those wishing to cast their ballots found they weren't alone.

Turnout was big and so large, in fact, the registrar decided to extend the hour past 4 p.m.

CBS2's Jeff Nguyen spoke to some of the early birds.

There was, he reported, a really nice cross section of people from all all over our community.

Throughout the day, lines stretched around the block.

This marked the first time the County's Registrar's Office has done early weekend voting outside of its Norwalk headquarters.
Some people at the North Hollywood Regional Library tell Nguyen they ordered pizza to share with one another because they waited nearly four hours to cast their vote.

"I think we all share the understanding that it's a privilege and a right as Americans to vote. And we're all very excited about it. We're here and that's one common feeling today. We're just ready and excited to vote," said Terry Dexler of Hollywood.

"We've been watching people walk seniors to the front of the line. And talk to them about getting them in. we've seen a few people we saw someone who had a visual disability come and they actually went in and an elderly man with a walker went right in. so people are working together and they're aware there are people who cannot wait in this kind of line," said Gary Riotto of West Hollywood.

"I definitely believe your voice should be heard. You should place your vote in that sometimes are voice are heard more than we realize. So that's why I'm definitely going to stay in this line for how ever many, 3000 hours, whatever it's going to take," Danielle Withers said, laughing.

Long line also greeted people voting at West LA College in Culver City today. The county told Nguyen some of the line there could be blamed on a technical glitch early on. They said the problem was quickly fixed.

Early voting will take place again Sunday and next weekend between 8 a.m.  and 4 p.m. at the aforementioned places as well as El Camino College in Torrance , West Covina City Hall and Antelope Valley College in Lancaster.

The Norwalk office will be open Monday through Friday as well as tomorrow and next weekend.

There was some confusion today about when this line would be cut off. By law, Nguyen reports, if you're in line to vote by closing time, you cannot be turned away.