At 6:15 a.m. lines were already forming down the walkway of Walter Reed Middle School. A line was reaching out the hotel doors and down the block for The Beverly Garland Hotel, where there are several polling sites.
Although lines seemed long, they moved fast, and some fear the worst is yet to come.
"Look it's noon now, and we had more than 300 people come to this small precinct," said Charles Johnson, precinct inspector of a Studio City hills area at Valley View Elementary School. "That is more than we had the whole day during the primary."
About a dozen Studio City precincts checked by noon on Tuesday showed steady, but not overwhelming, numbers of voters.
"I have a good feeling about Obama today," said Jason Martinez, 38, a Studio City resident for 20 years who has voted at the Hillpark Street precinct for all of his adult life. He was interested in the propositions about the Death Penalty (he voted against the changes), and he was concerned about the condom limitations on the adult industry.
"The actors in the adult industry didn't think it was a good idea, so I voted against it," Martinez said. "I think I have no business telling people what to do in that industry."
Martinez works in entertainment. He said, "I work in the industry, but I don't make porn."
While Martinez votes for Democratic candidates across the board, he said, "I had to try to convince some of my relatives in Louisiana to vote my way, but it didn't work." He was also concerned about one of the school propositions, voting for one and against the other.
"It's the most important election of my lifetime," said 78-year-old Don Griffith, a lifelong Valley resident voting at the Beverly Garland. "I don't want to wait outside for eight hours like they are in Miami, so I came here early. I guess I will get in," he laughed. "I've been an R [Republican] all my life, but this is the second time I'm voting Obama."
David Cox, precinct leader for the Beverly Garland, where there are four precincts gathered, said, “There were people out here at 6 o’clock when we were setting up. There’s no way to tell how crowded it is, but it’s 8:30 now and it’s busier than I’ve ever seen it.”
Cox had to snake the people out the door, along the hotel corridor outside and into the parking lot.
George Ehling, 85, who has lived in the Studio City hills most of his life, said, “I’m voting Romney. He seems like he can make them compromise more and come to the middle. The other guy isn’t going to the middle. I’m 85, so this may be my last time voting for president. It’s always a privilege.”
Two people from 866-OUR-VOTE monitored the crowded conditions and the people screaming for parking spaces outside Valley View Elementary School. The school’s principal, Susan Kim, didn’t want the voting to go on at the little school in the Cahuenga Pass because of no parking and the students have to be confined indoors the whole day. Luckily, Tuesday is a “minimum day” so the schools that have precincts (Walter Reed, Valley View, Rio Vista) get out at 1:25 p.m.
The volunteer election monitors, identified only as Jay and Cody, said they didn’t see violations, but did see problems with the school as a voting site. One woman with children in her car, screamed at the gates being closed to voters (they were closed until 8:30 a.m.) saying, “You have to provide us parking to vote, that’s the law!"
Local celebs Bill Nye the Science Guy posted a photo on Facebook with his neighbor Ed Begley Jr. Nye said, "Great to see the passion, and it's great to live in a country where we can choose. Ed Begley and I met at our polling place this morning. If you're eligible, vote!"
John Celock told the Huffington Post that the Studio Village Apartments—one of the largest complexes in Studio City—had some steady moving (Jason Schwab and his fiancee, Audrey Walker) were in and out in 15 minutes), but another woman took nearly an hour (see: Slow Going At One Studio City Polling Place).
How crowded are the polls going to be all day? What are people saying? How are the votes going in both the local and national races?
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• Here's Where You Can Go to Vote in Studio City on Election Day Tuesday
• Your Studio City Ballot and What Your Neighbors Say
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How have Studio City citizens voted in past elections? It's not surprising to find out that the 91604 ZIP code voted overwhelmingly for Barak Obama in the 2008 election over John McCain. You can see how the electorate is locally:
Here is the make-up of 91604 compared to the overall country.
Voting Studio City United States Democrat 69.190% 52.870% Republican 28.820% 45.620% Independent Other 1.988% 1.510%
If you have trouble at the polls, please contact us immediately or leave notes in the COMMENT area, and if you have other thoughts about the election or how the day is going, please leave your thoughts. You can also post your own photos as well.
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