NASHUA, NH – By Eduardo A. de Oliveira, New England Ethnic News and FI2W
The battleground state of New Hampshire is made of early bird voters.
One hour after the polls opened at 6.m., 10 percent of registered voters in Ward 1, in Nashua, had already cast ballot at the Broad Street Elementary School. About 6,400 voters are registered at Ward 1.
Registration booths are busy, too (NH allows Election Day voter registration). According to Greg Poston, a retired American Airlines pilot and a volunteer, in the first 3 hours today about 100 people had filled new voter registration form.
In this corner of southern New Hampshire, immigrant voters are participating, although it was not yet confirmed if their voting volume is high at this point.
“I registered a Romanian woman who was very excited to have the chance to vote in this country,” said Poston.
With a high interest of the general population confirmed, “list checkers” –party representatives who check the correct names and addresses of voters — are working hard. The list checkers are individuals appointed by party officials with the approval of the state Attorney General, who inspect the validity of registrations, but are not allowed to speak directly to clerk volunteers.
“I am here to guarantee democracy at its best,” said a list checker who declined to provide his name.
A high turnout was also observed at the Main Dunstable Elementary School (Ward 5). Volunteers told me that more than a 1,000 people had voted in the morning. The ward has 5,800 voters registered.
