Time to Vote: A Behind the Scenes Look
At University City near the campuses of U Penn and Drexel in Philadelphia.
A line of roughly 40-50 people outside a polling place in a library at the corner of 40th and Walnut Streets, some cheering and clapping when the doors open slightly late at 7:08 am.
Two Obama/Biden signs are planted in the flower boxes out front. There are no McCain/Palin signs.
The crowd is mostly young and white, college students who got up extra early to exercise their constitutional rights for the first or second time (or third…some voted in the primary in April, others also voting in 2006).
A young couple walks out smiling. Then another young lady. I ask how it went. “Great!” She says with a smile.
There are four voting machines inside, each shrouded with a blue curtain. Two lines form in front of poll workers who sit behind a desk loging people in. They show ID and are checked off a list, they sign a book and then wait for an open booth.
Things so far appear to be running smoothly and after the initial push inside there is no line.
UPDATE: 7:30a a McCain sign is planted outside.
8:19 AM: Drove by a polling place in a church in West Philadelphia just before 8a. No line outside.
Drove to another polling place at a housing project in West Philly. Walked in. About 30 people lined up in the lunch room, many older folks, mostly black or hispanic. No campaign signs outside either location…
9:22 AM: Long lines at a polling place in West Philadelphia.
9:25 AM: At an elementary school in West Philadelphia’s University City area.
Longest line we’ve seen so far. One man about to sign in and cast his ballot told me he’d been waiting 1 hour 40 minutes.
An Obama volunteer doing exit polling outside says she hasn’t seen anyone leave the line before voting.
The line is racially mixed with a wide age range but seems skewed younger.
Tags: election voting
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Rick Leventhal is a correspondent in the New York bureau, but has
covered stories in more than 30 states and 20 countries, from Aruba to
Afghanistan. He has also reported from the field for dozens of World
Series games! 
I am very upset about the tens of thousands of votes, from our servicemen and women in Iraq, that will most likely not get counted because the ballots will not get back to the ‘lower 48′ in time to be counted. Something MUST be done about this. Even though these young men and women are fighting for our country they might loose their opportunity for their Presidential/Vice Presidential vote to count just because of the recklessness of some person or group that did not do what is necessary to get these votes back here in time. Makes one wonder if maybe it wasn’t done on purpose. We should do everything possible to have their votes count even if it means holding the final count open until the ballots get here from Afganistan. Please verify that you have received this and please let me know if there’s a group being organized that is working on this. I will do anything I can do to help get these votes counted. Please suggest that the final count is not given until these ballots are received, counted and inclued in the final tally. I am sure that I am not the only one complaining about this.
There is no such thing as a constitutional right to vote… why do people keep perpetuating this myth!
The Constitution lays out provisions under which the state cannot block your access to vote but it does not set up your right TO vote in federal elections. That is a state issue.
If there was a “right to vote” in federal elections the Electoral College would simply not exist.
Rick Leventhal outstanding report, can you just imagine a “Black Panther” as a poll watcher all dressed up in his so called uniform. Mortor cycle gang members can’t wear there colors in most bars in my area. I voted today nothing that intimidating except the lines were slow, a whole 20 minutes, amazing. I say just vote! No matter who is in your way AMERICANS!