Polling Story
We count votes. We count absentee ballots. We Republicans. We count Democrats. For the first time in election history, we are counting voters as they come in to the polling place.
Elle Schofield was in charge of checking in voters at the South Hill School today. As she checked off voters' names signifying they placed their votes, she also checked another number next to the specific hour in which voters showed up.
"This year we have to track the number of people by the hour," she said. "It's a new system this year."
Typically in polls across America, the busiest times are right before the work day officially begins and right after it ends.
Schofield said she must count the number of voters from start to finish.
"The poll closes at 9 p.m., but if people show up at 9 we have to process them," she said. "We could be here until 11 p.m. tonight."
The South Hill School, located on Hudson Street, was the local polling place for Ward 1 Districts 4 and 5.
Schofield said her work was cut out for her.
"There is 948 people between the two districts," she said. "It's my responsibility to count all of them if they come in."
Each polling place was given a specific sheet to tally the number of voters. Here is a video of Schofield explaining the system:
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