Early Birds Talk About the Election

Only 22 voters had shown up to vote at the Greenbelt Police Station in the 6th Precinct by 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

While voters were trickling in, Election Judge Keith Chernikoff, said he had four questions for this election:

Judge’s Questions

• Do we get to 100 votes at Franklin Park?

In the 2009 election, only 54 people voted at the polls in the 8th Precinct in Greenbelt West, the current polling location for Franklin Park at Greenbelt Station.

• Does Bill Orleans get more votes than Che Sayles?

Sayles received 618 total votes in 2009.

• Does “J” stay as Mayor? 

• How low is the overall turnout?

Greenbelter Jim Link showed up at the police station early on election day morning. “I wanted to bask in the glow of having voted early all day long,” he said. “And I wanted to schmooze the glamorous election clerks.”

Outside incumbant candidate Leta Mach and Sylvia Lewis were the only ones holding campaign signs. “It’s a nice day,” Mach commented, adding that might bring out more people. It was around 7:40 a.m., and she thought a lot of them were getting their morning coffee now. “I spilt mine all over my car,” she said and laughed.

“It’s going to be a low, slow day,” Chernikoff estimated. He thought that might be due to having only one challenger to the incumbents. Though the mayor’s race might affect votes, he felt it would not affect the turnout.