Presidential primaries, propositions on the ballots
A buzz surrounded polling places throughout Hollister today as voters cast their ballots for a multitude of presidential candidates and state propositions.
Several voters who spoke with the Hollister Free Lance this morning outside of Portuguese Hall – still somewhat decorated from a wedding – said they were voting for Hillary Clinton.
Vanessa Arroyo and her mother, Otilia Arroyo, both Democrats, were heading out of Portuguese Hall this morning to go handle registration issues.
The Arroyos both said they were voting for Clinton. Vanessa Arroyo said she liked Bill Clinton’s tenure, and she believes Hillary Clinton would bring hard work and efficiency to the presidency.
But if Barack Obama gets the nomination, the Arroyos would be okay with that, too.
“Either way, we’re making history,” Vanessa Arroyo said, “And that’s amazing.”
Across town at Spring Grove School, voters coming out of the polling place were supporting different candidates for varying reasons.
Joe Kilmer, a registered Republican from Hollister, said he voted for Mitt Romney, although he believes John McCain will earn the nomination.
“He represents my views the most,” Kilmer said of Romney.
Romney has said his top issues for the 2008 election are the economy and Social Security.
Chuck Mullaney, a Hollister Democrat, voted for Obama.
“I think they need some young guys coming in,” Mullaney said.
Mullaney said he believes Clinton is too old school, and that Obama will be successful in bringing both parties together.
Husband and wife John and Dana Dawson were exiting the polling place this evening after voting for their respective presidential hopefuls.
John Dawson, a registered Republican, voted for Mike Huckabee.
“Huckabee impressed me,” he said. “He plays bass better than I do.”
Dana Dawson, a registered Democrat, voted for Obama.
“He seems more mellow,” she said. “I like the fact that he was being sponsored by the Kennedy family.”
Some voters weren’t too happy with the campaigning so far. One Hollister voter at Porteguese Hall, Dolores Perry, declined to reveal who she voted for, but said she is a registered Democrat. She said the campaigns could be cleaner heading into this year’s primary, but she’s looking forward to the November election.
“They use kind of dirty tactics,” she said as she exited Portuguese Hall this morning. “Sometimes I don’t like that.”
Inside Portuguese Hall, poll workers stood patiently this morning awaiting voters.
Bill Millar has volunteered at the polling place for eight years. He said it is an opportunity to see the same people every year who he wouldn’t normally see.
Millar said the site saw an average of nine voters per hour during the November 2007 election.
Three hours after the polling place opened this morning, 40 residents had voted, Millar said.
“The only problem we’ve had is someone who was registered incorrectly,” he said.
Spring Grove Poll worker Mike Walters volunteered in the last presidential primary, he said.
“It seems like a lot of energy this time,” said Walters, adding, “We had someone at 7:05 (a.m.) and it’s not stopped.”
It got so busy at one point that Walters looked outside to see if a bus had pulled up, he said.
