Early voting still heavy in Douglas, Sarpy (Obamaha's 1 EC vote on the line)

[Omaha Steve]

My daughter Kris just called. She went with my granddaughter to vote. It was a two hour wait at 10 A.M.. She will vote at her regular location tomorrow, because she didn't have the time today.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10477129

Published Monday November 3, 2008
Early voting still heavy in Douglas, Sarpy
BY VIRGIL LARSON
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

The line to vote early was out the door again this morning at the Douglas County Election Commission Office.


John Glover crouches to read a book while waiting in a long line for early voting outside the Sarpy County Election Office in Papillion on Monday morning.

This year's early voting had already set a record — easily.

By the end of Friday, almost 57,000 Douglas County voters had marked their ballots. The old record was 29,000 in the 2006 general election.

Even with that kind of turnout, Dave Phipps, Douglas County election commissioner, said the machinery was in place to prevent anyone from trying to vote twice.

The names of people who vote today will be given to poll workers early Tuesday so the voter lists at polling places will be up-to-date, showing who has already voted.

"We'll send out a list with our poll workers, and they'll update the books manually," Phipps said.

Because it is an election for president and other federal offices, anyone trying to vote twice could be prosecuted for election fraud under federal law, a felony carrying the possibility of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Paul Boeshart, an assistant U.S. attorney in Lincoln, said he has been the designated election officer in the Nebraska district of the federal court system for three presidential elections and has never had to prosecute a case of election fraud.

The line also was out the door at the Sarpy County Election Commission Office in Papillion.

Shortly before 11 a.m., people at the end of the line faced a 1½-hour wait, said Joan Bowden, a volunteer worker in the office.


• Contact the writer: 444-1081, [e-mail]