WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — The polls opened for Election Day at 7:30 a.m. in Arkansas and 7 a.m. in Oklahoma.
In Washington County, lines formed quickly at 41 polling locations.
Jennifer Price, Executive Director of the County Election Commission, said in just the first couple of minutes after the polls opened, the county processed more than 200 voters.
“There's lines at all of our polling locations, but we're ready and prepared,” Price said.
Caroline Kurowski was the first voter in line at her polling location, Johnson Church of Christ in Springdale.
Kurowski said she arrived at the site an hour early, around 6:30 a.m., and passed the time talking with other voters who came soon after.
She said casting her ballot before work was her final option, and it was important to her to prioritize it.
“I tried to vote early yesterday at the courthouse before the tornado, and luckily, a good Samaritan told me before I got in there that it was about a two-and-a-half-hour wait,” Kurowski said. “I still wanted to exercise my right to vote and make sure that my vote counted because that's important everywhere.”
Despite a pause as Monday's storms swept through the area, Price said the weather didn’t slow down early voting numbers in Washington County.
“All day long, we knew there was severe weather coming in,” Price said. “All day long, there was a line at the courthouse, and those voters were dedicated. They were really determined to vote. They stayed even with everything going on, the sirens … you could hear the warnings on everybody's phones going off, but no one left. They stayed and voted.”
That determination to get to the polls continued for many like Kurowski on Election Day.
“This is, I believe, my third election to vote in,” Kurowski said. “I feel like I'm young enough where I'm still understanding the implications of elections, and I'm getting to that age where what's happening and who's being voted into office is affecting me. To that point, I think it's a really exciting time to say that you're a part of history, and I want to make sure that I'm exercising my right to vote and making sure that I'm being a part of the changes that I want to see in the government.”
In Arkansas, polls are open until 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, and in Oklahoma, they are open until 7 p.m.
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