Despite the robbery of an armed security guard who was assigned to the library last night, District residents have been lining up to vote today at the Dorothy Height library on Benning Road NE. For the past couple hours, Ward 7 has seen the highest wait time of all nine early voting sites at an hour and fifteen minutes, according to the D.C. Board of Election’s wait tracking tool.
Takoma Park Community Center and Columbia Heights Community Center also reached the one hour mark at varying points this afternoon.
D.C. officially opened early voting for the 2016 elections on Saturday at One Judiciary Square. And as of today, District residents can cast their ballots at eight other early voting centers throughout the city.
“We understand that the lines may be long, but we want to remind residents that they don’t have to vote in their ward,” says Tamara Robinson, a DCBOE spokesperson. Unlike on election day, Washingtonians can vote early at any site, including the aforementioned centers along with the King Greenleaf Recreation Center, Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, Chevy Chase Community Center, Sherwood Recreation Center, and Malcolm X Elementary School.
Every location has 10 to 12 touch screen kiosks and two to three optical scanning machines, Robinson says.
This afternoon, King Greenleaf in Southwest, a short walk from Nats’ Park, has seen the most consistently short wait time—none at all. But as evening comes, times can completely shift, so it’s wise to check the tracker before heading out.
Opening day on October 22 marked a new record in early voting in the District, Robinson told DCist on Tuesday. “Over 2,500 voters came to Judiciary Square on Saturday alone,” she said. “In previous years, the record has been between 2,000 and 2,100. We’ve had a steady stream of voters since then.”
District residents have the option of early voting until November 4. Voters can also register at the early voting centers. The hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.