'Treat your vote like a piece of gold' - Stamford voters head to polls despite earlier delays in voting

Voters casting their ballots this Election Day in Stamford encountered long lines during the morning hours.

News 12 Staff

Nov 4, 2020, 7:40 AM

Updated 1,534 days ago

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Voters across the state showed up big to the polls Tuesday as they cast their ballots for Election Day.
People started lining up at Fish Church on Bedford Street around 5 a.m. - a full hour before the doors opened. And when they did, the line wrapped around in front of the church and well down Bedford Street.
News 12 Connecticut's Marissa Alter says it took her an hour and 10 minutes to vote at the church. One voter told News 12 they waited an hour and 45 minutes.
However, everyone in line was very understanding and things progressed smoothly.
"You've got to treat your vote like a piece of gold. You got to show up. You got to do it for our country," says Laura McDermott, of Stamford.
"I waited about 25 minutes, and it was worth every second. I would've waited two hours if I had to," says Stamford resident Deirdre Burke.
"It's exciting that so many people are coming out to vote. And when you think of the number of people we have in Stamford and the number of absentee ballots that have been put in, it's still pretty amazing. None of us have seen lines like this," says facilities manager Jane Love.
The site had limited people inside, kept everyone socially distanced and had Plexiglas up. There was also a COVID-19 testing facility outside the church earlier on the day.
Mayor David Martin also stopped by the site earlier and said he thinks this will be highest voter turnout for the city based solely on the fact that there were lines midday - and that's even with all the people who mailed in their ballots.
Stamford's voting turnout hit 86% in 2016.