Arizona Voters Head To The Polls On Election Day

By Casey Kuhn, Mariana Dale
Published: Tuesday, November 8, 2016 - 11:00am
Updated: Tuesday, November 8, 2016 - 11:08pm
(Photo by Kerry Fehr-Snyder - KJZZ)
The line outside the poll at Tumbleweed Recreation Center in Chandler on Nov. 8, 2016.
(Photo by Mariana Dale - KJZZ)
Traci Cox with her kids.
(Photo by Casey Kuhn - KJZZ)
Virginia Sanchez waited two and half hours to cast her vote Maryvale Church of the Nazarene.

Arizona voters have turned out in record numbers this year, but some last-minute voters still aren’t sure what they want from this presidential election. Both candidates have left a bad taste for some Valley voters.

As the line grew at the Maryvale Church of the Nazarene polling location Tuesday morning, voters passed the time with idle conversation about anything — the weather, their day — or how unhappy they are with their options, like Alicia Tucker.

“I don’t like anyone of the candidates that are running. I don’t even know why we as a nation would allow them to run for president. So I don’t really want to vote for either one of them. And I really didn’t," Tucker said.

She had an early ballot filled out but waited in line to make sure her 30-year-old son voted. And Jonathon Guttierez voted with his 1-year-old son.

He waited hours to vote in Maryvale, even though he wasn’t planning on voting at all. This election, he doesn’t agree with any candidate.

“Even when I was getting my ballot, I still wasn’t sure," Guttierez  said. "I left the presidential thing last, it was kind of like pros and cons of each one on the way over here. And then I did my vote.”

There was a steady stream of voters at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Tempe as the sun set. Traci Cox said she wouldn't pick a president until she’s inside the voting booth.

“I’ll probably be voting third party ‘cause I don’t love either candidate. That’s why my kids have the shirts on that they have on," said Cox.

The shirts her son and daughter are wearing? They say mom and dad for president.

Also at the polls was first time voter Rayne Taylor Simmonds. She wore a Hillary Clinton pin, but held on to her early ballot until the final hours.

“You don’t understand how hard my heart is beating right now," Taylor Simmonds said.

She said the stress of it all has left her with a headache. Tonight she’ll try to do some homework as she waits for results to come in. 

Virginia Sanchez waited two and half hours to cast her vote Maryvale Church of the Nazarene. She was the last one at the polls.

After the polls closed at 7 p.m., volunteers brought water and pizza to feed the dozens of people still left, and Sanchez said even with the long wait, she was well-accommodated.

"It was terrible. But it was OK because I was sitting down snacking and people were giving me pizza and candy and orange. And my niece was here collecting water for me," Sanchez said.

Voters said two of the e-pollbooks failed and a backup was used while replacement e-pollbooks were sent to the Maryvale location.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

Politics