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Early voting ends Tuesday | News

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Early voting ends Tuesday
News

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB)- If you
didn't get a chance to vote today, you have to wait election day next Tuesday. Hundreds
of people who braved some pretty long lines on this last day of early voting.

Voters in East Baton Rouge Parish face choices in a congressional race, mayoral race and the nine proposed constitutional amendments.

Lines
snaked around and through buildings at early voting locations in ascension and
east baton rouge parish on the last day of early voting. Most people toughed it
out, but others decided not to.

"I asked
about the length of time it would take to vote today, and I was told between an
hour and a half and two hours, so I decided to wait until Tuesday," said Jane
Burton. 

The Secretary
of State's office reports more than 280,000 Louisianians have cast ballots
since early voting started last week. That's almost 25 percent more early voters
than in the 2008 election.    

"I think
it's just more people, the interest and the enthusiasm and just the convenience
of early voting is moving people more and more in each election to vote early,"
said Secretary of State Tom Schedler.

Schedler
says while early voters only make up 12 to 13 percent of registered voters in Louisiana,  he says they should help push state's usually
robust turnout even higher on November 66th.

"If this
is an indication of what the turnout it going to be, I suspect I'll probably
have to wait Tuesday," said Burton. "But I'll take that chance."

Schedler says if voters take advantage things
like the "Geaux Vote" smart phone app before getting to the booth, election
day will run much more smoothly.

"You can
pull up your ballot. Familiarize yourself with it so you can spend less time
behind that curtain. Because those individuals in this line behind me will
really appreciate that if you go in there and punch the buttons and know how
you're going to vote," said Schedler.

For
people who don't have a smart phone, sample ballots are also available at
voting locations for you to read over.

Polls are
open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. on election day next Tuesday, Nov. 6th.

Click here for more information on the election

Copyright 2012 WAFB. All rights reserved.

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